INFLUENCE OF VACCINATION DOSE AND CLINICO-DEMOGRAPHICAL FACTORS ON ANTIBODY TITERS AGAINST MEASLES, RUBELLA, MUMPS, AND VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUSES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN JAPAN

Tuesday, 23rd of September 2014

[source]Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases[|source]

The Japanese government established a 2-dose policy for a measles/rubella-combined (MR) vaccine in 2006: the first dose must be administered at the age of 1 year (MR-I) and the second at the age of 5–6 years (MR-II, just before starting school). In addition, a catch up dose of MR vaccination is given at 12-13 years (MR-III, first year Junior high school students) and 17-18 years (MR-IV, 3^rd-year high school students) has been implemented since 2008, under the amended Preventive vaccination Law, which authorized the 2-dose policy. The influence of this revised policy on anti-body titers against corresponding viruses among college students has not been studied

In this study, the authors evaluate the influence of vaccination doses and clinico-demographical factors, including perinatal history on immune status against measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella among university students. The report documents that a 2-dose vaccination strategy should successfully prevent measles and rubella outbreaks by increasing immunity. Detailed report can be downloaded from: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/yoken/66/6/66_497/_article

 

 

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the influence of vaccination dose and clinico-demographical factors on immune status against measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella viruses among university students, we conducted a case-control study by analyzing serum antibody titers according to past immunization and infection, and perinatal histories, using a multivariate regression model. A total of 1370 medical, paramedical, and pharmaceutical students were included in the analysis. Two or more doses of measles and rubella vaccination yielded notably greater odds ratios for immuno-positivity (9.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.8–28.9 and 12.2; 95% CI, 0.71–210.3, respectively), compared with 1-dose vaccination, even though the superiority did not reach statistical significance for rubella. Students having younger/older siblings were more likely to be immuno-positive for mumps (2.5; 95% CI, 1.3–4.9 and 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4–5.5, respectively). On the other hand, post-term birth or macrosomia was associated with seronegative rubella virus antibodies. We concluded that a 2-dose vaccination strategy could successfully prevent measles and rubella outbreaks by increasing immunity.