Abstract
Measles is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) that also commonly affects health-care workers (HCWs). Measles immunization of HCWs was strongly recommended by international health authorities, in order to limit the spreading of the illness to susceptible patients and colleagues. An observational study, evaluating the immunization and vaccination status against measles of HCWs working at three Sicilian university hospitals, was conducted. All subjects not completely immune (vaccinated with only one dose in their lifetime), not immune (not vaccinated or not naturally immunized), and with an unknown immunization status were considered not immunized. Among HCWs operating in the three Sicilian university hospitals, 54.6% were not immune against measles. The average age of not immune HCWs was 51.3 (SD ± 9.8), ranging between 25 and 71 years old. In particular, 46.9% of HCWs not immunized worked in “at-risk” hospital units, based on medical conditions of patients which increases the probability of contracting an infection. Vaccination coverage rates observed against measles are considerably lower than other European countries and inadequate. It is therefore crucial to tackle vaccine hesitancy among HCWs, promoting strategies targeted to evaluate immunization status against VPDs and to significantly increase vaccine coverages, such as tailored training and vaccination offer or compulsory vaccination programs.
Highlights
Measles is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) with major epidemics occurring around every 2–3 years [1]
This study investigates immunization and vaccination status against measles in Sicilian health-care workers (HCWs), operating in the three Sicilian university hospitals of Catania (UHC), Messina (UHM), and Palermo (UHP), in order to plan future vaccination strategies, especially among personnel working in hospital units at higher risk for contracting and transmitting measles infection
Immunization status against HCWs operating in the three university hospitals of Sicily, is consistently lower than recommended to limit nosocomial transmission of the disease
Summary
Measles is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) with major epidemics occurring around every 2–3 years [1]. Even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, 110,000 measles deaths globally were reported in 2017, mostly between children under the age of five years [1,2]. Since January 2016, a measles epidemic has been ongoing in all European Union countries, with over 50,000 cases reported [3]. From 1 January to 31 December 2018, 2526 measles cases were reported in Italy (incidence 42 cases per million inhabitants), of which 44% occurred in Sicily, the Italian region that registered the highest incidence (222 cases per million) [4]. The median age of HCWs was 35 years and 51 HCWs (47%) developed at least one complication [4]
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