Abstract
This study aimed to build a consensus on recommendations of immunity requirements for vaccine-preventable diseases among healthcare and non-healthcare workers, including volunteers, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We used a two-round Delphi method with a group of 17 Japanese medical doctors involved in vaccination or public health administration. We asked them to rank the importance of immunity to each vaccine-preventable disease as mandatory, recommended, considered if possible, or standard precautions only. The response rate was 88.2% (15/17) for the first questionnaire and 100% (17/17) for the second. All respondents considered that immunity to measles, rubella, varicella, mumps, and hepatitis B should be mandatory for healthcare workers, and 15 of 17 respondents considered that immunity to influenza should also be mandatory. Seven, three, two, and two respondents thought that immunity to pertussis, meningococcal disease, diphtheria, and tetanus should be mandatory, and ten, 11, seven, and seven thought it should be recommended. For non-healthcare workers, immunity to measles, rubella, and varicella was considered mandatory by 17, 15, and 15 respondents. Ten and eight respondents thought that immunity to mumps and influenza should be mandatory, and seven thought that it should be recommended. In conclusion, the consensus was that immunity to measles, rubella, and varicella should be mandatory for both healthcare and non-healthcare workers. Immunity to mumps, hepatitis B, and influenza was also considered mandatory for healthcare workers. Further discussions may be needed to develop a consensus on other vaccine-preventable diseases, especially if vaccination is not routine for adolescents or adults in Japan.
Highlights
Mass gatherings (MGs) are events attended by a sufficient number of people to strain the planning and response resources of a community, state or nation
Even when a host community’s existing health and other support services are adequate to deal with the regular disease burden affecting its own population, the influx of large numbers of people caused by MGs, together with the infrastructural changes needed to support them, can place a severe strain on such services, compromising their ability to detect a developing problem and carry out an effective response
This document has been developed primarily for communicable disease directors (CDDs) and other public health professionals who are responsible for the management of communicable disease alert and response, as well as key policy makers, planners and executive personnel
Summary
Dealing with the public and media attention brought about by hosting an MG can be one of the most demanding aspects of the gathering. Effective communication addresses public concerns, educates, encourages appropriate public action, and builds trust in public health and government authorities. Public health crises are characterized by rapidly evolving information, high public concern, confusion, and urgent demands for information. Successful communication can help manage these factors, and at the very least can prevent the damage that poor communication may cause The WHO has produced a handbook for communication planning titled Effective Media Communication during Public Health Emergencies: a WHO Handbook – this provides detailed information and planning tools for public, partner and media communications
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