Testing level of immunity against measles in personnel of pediatric hospital and complementary vaccination

Measles is a viral, highly contagious disease, accompanied by fever and skin rash. Adults suffer more rarely than children, but with more severe symptoms. Around 30% of patients will develop one or more complications, some of which are very serious. Since 2017, measles outbreaks have occurred in Europe and Greece due to incomplete or absent immunization. People who work at healthcare services are often included among those who have not been vaccinated at all or who are not fully vaccinated. According to KEELPNO, those who are born after 1970 and did not undergo measles in the past or have not been vaccinated with two doses of MMR or have not confirmed that they are immune should be vaccinated immediately. The main goal of this study was the serological testing for measles of people who work at "Karamandaneio" Children's Hospital of Patras and have been born after 1970 and the complete vaccinationof the subject to disease personnel, due to the measles outbreak, especially in Southern Greece and the direct or indirect contact of the personnel with significant number of young patients who come at the outpatients department or those who are hospitalized with measles, in the only pediatric hospital outside of Attica in our country.

73 people, who work at "Karamandaneio" Children's Hospital, under 48 years old, were tested in the Immunology Laboratory of the department of Microbiology for IgG antibodies against measles virus with SERION ELISA classic Measles Virus IgG/IgM method. Title of IgG antibodies >200 mIU/ml was considered positive for immunity, 150-200 mIU/ml as grey zone and <150 mIU/ml as negative.

From the 73 people of the hospital personnel tested, 59 (80.82%) were found immune (IgG+) against measles, one (1.37%) had antibody title in the grey zone and 13 (17.81%) were not immune (IgG-) and were fully vaccinated with MMR. 

Despite the measles outbreak in our area and the continuous admission of children with measles in "Karamandaneio" Children's Hospital of Patras, the only pediatric hospital outside of Attica in our country, and in spite of the high percentage (19.18%) of the subject to disease personnel in our pediatric hospital, no one from the hospital stuff suffered from measles, thanks to the serological testing and the immediate complete vaccinations (MMR), which is the only protection strategy for the creation of herd immunity and the elimination of a reemerging disease.