Hepatitis B + work permit

Hi all,

I am just curious if having Hepatitis B (carrier) will prevent someone from obtaining a work permit. The work permit will be for teaching english in Taiwan.

If anyone has any info on this, please insight me.

thanks in advance

If you want to work leglly in Taiwan u will have to take a health exam. You blood will be screened for STD’s and you will fail. You will not be able to get a work permit to work in Taiwan.Unfortunatly.

20% of the population of Taiwan is infected with hepatitis B - surely they can’t kick a foreigner out for having it. Is it even tested for on the health exam? I don’t think it is.

Unless I was badly misinformed, it is tested for. Then it turned out I never had to get a health check, so. . . .

[Forumosa - Taiwan's largest and most active Taiwan-oriented global online community in English … itis#24506](Rights for English Teachers - #23 by dionnemiller

According to BFM, “acute viral hepatitis” is a deportable disease.
[Forumosa - Taiwan's largest and most active Taiwan-oriented global online community in English … tis#141978](Chocolate in Trouble - #165 by headhonchoII

[quote=“MaPoSquid”]
According to BFM, “acute viral hepatitis” is a deportable disease.
[forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph … tis#141978](Chocolate in Trouble

There are different tests to document acute, chronic, and inactive (carrier) HBV infection. Does anyone know which hepatitis tests are done in the health check? I found the health check requirements for foreign journalists (?!?) here: gio.gov.tw/info/foreign_e/govserv7.htm
Looks like they check for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). Do you know your HBsAg status? Even in inactive HBsAg-positive carriers, HBsAg occasionally clears. If you haven’t had it checked lately, talk to you doctor.

And here’s an interesting article from the Taipei Times:

“Hepatitis carriers defended
In an effort to protect hepatitis B carriers’ right to work, Taipei City’s Bureau of Health will fine the Civil Aeronautics Administration if the agency fails to lift a measure that prohibits the hiring of hepatitis B virus carriers…According to Article 12 of the Communicable Disease Prevention Law (傳染病 防治法), the bureau can fine the administration up to NT$150,000 if it fails to cancel the regulation within 15 days. .”

Go here for the remained of this brief article: taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003205089

I wonder if that will apply to health checks for foreigners as well?

I know a carrier who got a work permit. Not sure if it is officially screened or if it is supposed to be, but isn’t tested for effectively. All I know is that someone who is an inactive carrier successfully obtained a work permit.

Perhaps the testing methods are not effective, but Hep B is one of the things on the list that will get one deported if found.

I stumbled over an articlein the Taipei Times issue of October 1, 2004 on the weekend:

However, that might not be valid for foreign English teachers :s

HTH
Iris

A few years ago my wife was found to have Hep B antibodies, which shows she was exposed to Hep B, but fortunately is immune. Since I had lived in Taiwan with her, this gave me a scare. Despite no symptoms, I got tested anyway, and the test found no infection or antibodies. So I decided to undergo the series of shots to become immunized against Hep B. Three shots at US$70 a pop, but well worth it.

Since Hep B is widespread in Taiwan, and people tend to do things like stick chopsticks into common serving dishes, or worse, grab food with their chopsticks and throw it into YOUR bowl (god I hate that!), it would behoove anyone living here long-term to get the shots.

If you are from the UK, your shots are about 15 squid (They are included in your immunisation injections you get if you go abroad, including shots against Malaria and yellow fever). There is no excuse not to take them.