Abstract
Objective: Rubella is a very diffusive but relatively benign infectious disease unless contracted during pregnancy, when it causes congenital rubella syndrome. The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence and titer of antirubella antibodies in a population of future healthcare workers (students at the school of medicine).Methods: The cohort consisted of 11,022 students who underwent antibody analysis after the presentation of a vaccine certificate.Results: Vaccination compliance was very high, particularly in younger students (born after 1995), reaching almost 100% (at least one dose). Unvaccinated students born before 1990 had high seropositivity (>95%), but this percentage dropped to zero among the youngest students. Variables affecting antibody titer included year of birth and sex. Considering only vaccinated students, a greater antibody response was observed if the vaccine was administered between 8 and 10 years of age. Female sex was associated with more significant (p < 0.0001) positivity and higher antibody titer after one and two doses. However, this difference appeared less consistent in relation to year of birth.Conclusions: The studied population exhibited excellent vaccination compliance, high seropositivity, and high antibody titer. Vaccine and immune coverage were higher than what is deemed necessary to achieve herd immunity.
Highlights
Rubella is an acute viral infection caused by an RNA togavirus
A high percentage of rubella infections in both children and adults are subclinical, but rubella during pregnancy is associated with potentially serious complications for the fetus due to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)
Compliance with rubella vaccination began to increase in subjects born in the decade 1970–1979, almost exclusively for women, who reached ∼50% vaccination coverage
Summary
Rubella is an acute viral infection caused by an RNA togavirus (genus Rubivirus). A high percentage of rubella infections in both children and adults are subclinical, but rubella during pregnancy is associated with potentially serious complications for the fetus due to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).Since 1999, the Italian Board of Health has encouraged the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and a mass vaccination campaign was launched [1], even though the single rubella vaccine has been available since 1972. Rubella is an acute viral infection caused by an RNA togavirus (genus Rubivirus). A high percentage of rubella infections in both children and adults are subclinical, but rubella during pregnancy is associated with potentially serious complications for the fetus due to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The rubella vaccine was actively offered to adolescent women during primary or secondary school from 1972 to the cohort 1988–1989. Notwithstanding the high percentage of immunity (acquired via disease or vaccination), relatively low compliance with vaccination is why rubella has continued to circulate in Italy and CRS still occurs [2]. Between 2005 and February 2018, only 88 cases of CRS were registered in Italy, and only 173 cases of rubella disease during pregnancy were reported [3]
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