Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2014 October, 234(2)

Prevaccination Antibody Screening and Immunization Program for Healthcare Personnel against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella in a Japanese Tertiary Care Hospital

HAJIME KANAMORI,^1,2,3 KOICHI TOKUDA,^1,2 SHINOBU IKEDA,² SHIRO ENDO,^1,2 CHIYUKI ISHIZAWA,² YUKARI HIRAI,² MASAMI TAKAHASHI,² TETSUJI AOYAGI,¹ MASUMITSU HATTA,¹ YOSHIAKI GU,¹ HISAKAZU YANO,¹ DAVID J. WEBER³ and MITSUO KAKU^1,2

¹Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
²Infection Control Unit, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
³Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Susceptible healthcare personnel (HCP) are at high risk for acquiring and transmitting measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV). Presumptive evidence of immunity to MMRV is recommended for HCP. The aim of this investigation was to examine the seroprevalence of MMRV in Japanese HCP and the association with history or vaccination in terms of occupational safety. To improve infection control at our hospital, we also assessed their immune status by implementing prevaccination antibody screening and an immunization program with postvaccination serological testing. We implemented seroprevalence surveys on MMRV antibodies among 243 newly and 2,664 previously hired HCP in a Japanese tertiary care hospital. Self-administered questionnaires about history of MMRV and vaccination with or without written documentation were completed for newly hired HCP. Prevaccination and postvaccination serological tests were performed using virus-specific IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Indeed, only a few HCP accurately remembered or had written records of their disease or vaccination history. After our immunization program was implemented, the seropositivity rate reached levels as high as ~98% for measles, rubella, and varicella, and increased to ~80% for mumps. Our program was cost-effective, and no severe adverse reactions were reported. The prevaccination antibody screening for HCP would be helpful, given the lack of written vaccination records or documented disease history, and is also useful for the prevention of adverse reactions associated with unnecessary vaccination. It is important for infection control practitioners to comprehend the immune status of HCP against MMRV, and then provide an appropriate immunization program for susceptible HCP.

keywords —— Keywords: immunization; measles; mumps; rubella; varicella

© 2014 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2014, 234, 111-116

Correspondence: Hajime Kanamori, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan.

e-mail: kanamori@med.tohoku.ac.jp