Persistence of antibodies for measles among vaccinated medical students in Italy

Coppeta, Luca; Somma, Giuseppina; Giampaolo, Luca Di; Bizzarro, Giuseppe; Ippoliti, Lorenzo; Borelli, Francesco; Balbi, Ottavia; Perrone, Stefano; Pietroiusti, Antonio

doi:10.1080/23744235.2020.1772498

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…We can therefore hypothesize that subjects born after 2000 (aged < 22 years) must have both a presumed immunity and detectable serological protection since, for reasons explained above, it is unlikely that the antibody titers have vanished in five years for those subjects vaccinated at school age. In previous studies we found a high level of serological immunity among medical students vaccinated with two doses of MMR more than 15 years after vaccination [ 34 ]. In previously published studies, a high serological susceptibility rate and a paradoxically higher risk of infection were found among young adults compared to other age groups [ 30 , 35 , 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological Evaluation for Measles among Italian and Foreign Medical Students in a University Hospital in Rome

Coppeta,

Ferrari,

Somma

et al. 2023

Vaccines

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Background: Measles infection in the hospital setting is a major issue. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, measles outbreaks continue to occur in some European countries. We aimed to evaluate the immunological status of medical students attending the Tor Vergata Polyclinic (PTV). Methods: Measles antibodies titers were assessed by venipuncture on a sample of 2717 medical students who underwent annual health surveillance visits from January 2021 to March 2023. Subjects showing serum IgG values above 1.0 S/CO were considered serologically protected. Personal data, country of origin, and main demographic characteristic were also collected. Results: 66.7% (1467 Italian and 346 foreign) of medical students showed protective IgG antibodies levels. Female students were serologically immune more frequently than males (68.6% vs. 63.3%; p < 0.01 at Chi2). The mean antibody titer was 1.72 S/CO, significantly higher in females than males (1.67 vs. 1.75, respectively; p < 0.05), and significantly related to age (p < 0.01). Albanian students, who were the largest foreign population in our study, showed a low serological protection rate (40/90: 44.4%). Conclusions: The proportion of serologically non-immune students is high, raising concerns about the possible risk of hospital transmission. Substantial differences in the rate of immunity have been found between subjects coming from different parts of Europe and the world. Pre-training assessment of all medical students and vaccination of susceptible individuals is highly recommended, particularly for those from low immunization rate countries.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological Evaluation for Measles among Italian and Foreign Medical Students in a University Hospital in Rome

Coppeta,

Ferrari,

Somma

et al. 2023

Vaccines

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“… 21 This may be attributed to a reduction in the level of protective antibodies and the protection induced by a measles vaccination persist at least until early adulthood. 22 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…21 This may be attributed to a reduction in the level of protective antibodies and the protection induced by a measles vaccination persist at least until early adulthood. 22 A previous study has shown that measles usually occurred in young unvaccinated children. 23 However, the measles outbreak in this study area mainly involved adults aged between 18 and 23years.…”

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confidence: 99%

Risk Factors of Measles Outbreak Among Students of Mizan-Tepi University, Tepi Campus, Southwest Ethiopia

Fekede

Kidan

Getachew

et al. 2021

IDR

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Background: Measles is a serious respiratory disease that is spread easily through coughing and sneezing of the measles virus for which humans are the only reservoir. Even though prevention and elimination strategies had been implemented, the outbreaks of measles infection quietly occur in different parts of the world. As of November 2019 a suspected measles outbreak was reported from Tepi campus student's clinic. We investigated the outbreak to determine its possible sources, control measures and identify associated risk factors among students of Mizan-Tepi University. Methods: A facility based unmatched case-control study was conducted. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were cleaned and entered to Epi-info7 and analyzed using SPSS-20. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with measles outbreak at a p-value ≤0.05. Results: A total of 40 measles cases were reported during the investigation. The probable source of the outbreak was an index case who had a travel history to a district with the measles epidemic. Five samples were collected for confirmation of the diagnosis. No measles-related deaths were reported. The major risk factors for measles infection in Mizan-Tepi University were being unvaccinated [AOR = 5.21, 95% CI (1.938, 12.058)], being female [AOR = 4.21, 95% CI (1.426, 11.182)], age group of 18-20 [AOR = 0.123, 95% CI (0.041, 0.37)] and having a contact history [AOR = 0.149, 95% CI (0.041, 0.544)]. Conclusion: The findings of the present investigation indicated that being unvaccinated and having a contact history with confirmed or suspected cases increased the risk of measles infection. Reduction in the level of protective antibodies over time may accelerate transmission of measles in the campus. Strengthening case-based surveillance and supplemental measles vaccination are imperative.

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“…Based on these considerations, the ACIP recommended an additional dose of MMR vaccine for women of childbearing potential who have received 1 or 2 doses of rubella-containing vaccine but do not have a protective level of rubella IgG antibodies [9]. Suboptimal vaccination rates for vaccine-preventable diseases among healthcare workers have been demonstrated in seroprevalence studies, primarily due to declining antibody titers over time [21][22][23][24][25]. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate serologic protection against rubella in female healthcare operators of childbearing age to assess the risk of a breakthrough infection and the need for an additional dose of vaccine as recommended by the ACIP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rubella Vaccine Uptake among Women of Childbearing Age in Healthcare Settings

Ferrari,

Somma,

Gentili

et al. 2023

Healthcare

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Background: Rubella is a contagious viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults. Rubella is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of birth defects. Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome. There is no specific treatment for rubella, but the disease is preventable by vaccination with an efficacy of over 95%. Vaccination coverage is still below the recommended levels and many cases have occurred worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the immunization programs and the quality of disease surveillance worldwide. Operators of the healthcare setting are at increased risk of infection due to their work duties and should receive preventive vaccination or serologic protection to work in a healthcare setting. Aims: To evaluate the serological evidence of rubella IgG antibodies in female healthcare operators of childbearing age, to assess the risk of a breakthrough infection and the need for an additional dose of vaccine. Methods: We collected age and antibody titers from 449 young female operators aged <50 years who underwent the periodic surveillance at the Occupational Medicine Unit of the Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, from January to July 2022. Subjects were considered immune if the anti-rubella IgG titer was >11.00 IU/mL. Results: The rate of serologically unprotected subjects was 9.13% (41/449). The mean age of protected subjects was 26.93 years, while the mean age of unprotected subjects was 28.24 years. Age did not correlate with mean titer on statistical analysis (p = 0.10). The acceptance rate among unprotected operators was 31.7%. A positive attitude towards vaccination was found in 11/28 (39.3%) of the unvaccinated subjects, while a negative tendency was found in 2/28 (7.1%) of these subjects; most of the unvaccinated operators 15/28 (53.6%) prefer to postpone the administration of the vaccine. When compared with a similar population from the pre-pandemic period, the actual proportion of immune female subjects was not significantly different from that found in 2019 (90.87% vs. 90.3%). Conclusions: Protection against rubella was suboptimal among female healthcare workers of childbearing age. Acceptance of the rubella vaccine among these operators was low. Most of those who were hesitant intended to postpone the vaccination, while a minority had negative attitudes toward vaccination. A policy of mandatory vaccination policy should overcome the reluctance of operators.

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Persistence of antibodies for measles among vaccinated medical students in Italy

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

Serological Evaluation for Measles among Italian and Foreign Medical Students in a University Hospital in Rome

Serological Evaluation for Measles among Italian and Foreign Medical Students in a University Hospital in Rome

Risk Factors of Measles Outbreak Among Students of Mizan-Tepi University, Tepi Campus, Southwest Ethiopia

Rubella Vaccine Uptake among Women of Childbearing Age in Healthcare Settings

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