Seroprevalence survey on measles, mumps, rubella and varicella antibodies in healthcare workers in Japan: sex, age, occupational-related differences and vaccine efficacy

Abstract

SUMMARYA seroprevalence survey on measles, mumps, rubella and varicella was conducted on healthcare workers (HCWs) at Shimane University Hospital, Japan utilizing an enzyme immunoassay. Of 1811 HCWs tested, 91·8% were seropositive to measles, 92·1% to mumps, 89·5% to rubella and 96·3% to varicella. Sex-related differences in seroprevalence were found in rubella (males vs. females: 84·7 vs. 92·2%, P < 0·001). Moreover, males aged 30–39 years were most susceptible to rubella (22·4%), which may be attributed to the design of childhood immunization programmes in Japan. Individuals aged ⩽29 years were more susceptible to measles (14·3%) and mumps (10·9%), compared to other age groups. There were no significant sex- and age-related differences in varicella seroprevalence. The physician occupational group was more susceptible to rubella, but no significant occupational-related difference was observed in the other diseases. Susceptible subjects, with negative or equivocal serological results were given a vaccine which induced seroconversion in most vaccinees. Seroconversion occurred more frequently in the equivocal group than in the negative group. These findings provide a new insight for the seroprevalence survey of vaccine-preventable diseases in Japanese HCWs with special reference to vaccine efficacy.

Persistence and Half-lives of Anti-measles and Anti-rubella Antibodies in Japanese Hospital Workers: A Longitudinal Study

“…Because it is difficult for some hospital workers to confirm their vaccination records at the time of recruitment, it is considered to be reasonable for workers to undergo measurement of the antibody titers against measles and rubella to determine immunoprotection, despite the existence of a documented vaccination record (8). Our present survey of hospital workers in July and August 2013 showed rates of seropositivity similar to those in previous studies of Japanese healthcare workers (17,18). The percentages of subjects who remained positive for antibodies against measles and rubella in two separate tests within 5 years were 97.4% and 86.1%, respectively.…”

Are healthcare workers immune to rubella?

“…The prevalence of HCW with protective rubella antibodies in Catalonian health centers included in this study (97.2%) is higher than that found in other studies, [19][20][21][22][23] probably due to the vaccination programs performed in Catalonia since 1978. A Saudi Arabian study 19 found a prevalence of antibodies of 90%.…”

A 16-year review of seroprevalence studies on measles and rubella

“…Considering these situations, alternative vaccination schedules for infants have been postulated, including vaccinating earlier, e.g. at 8 months of age [25,30,88,91]. Others suggest that delaying vaccination until 14 months of age [20] would enable the infant's immune system to develop, thereby producing a better immune response.…”