Infection
Volume 44, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 781-787

Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella seroprevalence in refugees in Germany in 2015 (Article)

Jablonka A.* , Happle C. , Grote U. , Schleenvoigt B.T. , Hampel A. , Dopfer C. , Hansen G. , Schmidt R.E. , Behrens G.M.N.
  • a Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany, German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
  • b Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany
  • c Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
  • d Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
  • e Department for Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany
  • f Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany
  • g Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany
  • h Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany, German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany
  • i Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany, German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany, Niedersachsen Network on Neuroinfectiology, Hannover, Germany

Abstract

Purpose: The current extent of migration poses emerging socio–economic and humanitarian challenges. Little is known on vaccination rates in migrants entering Europe, and the implementation of guidelines for serological testing and vaccination of refugees are pending. Methods: We conducted seroprevalence analyses for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) in 678 refugees coming to Germany during the current crisis. Results: The mean age of refugees was 28.8±11.4 years, and 76.1 % of subjects were male. Overall, IgG seronegativity was 7.4 % (95 % CI 5.5-9.6) for measles, 10.2 % (95 % CI 8.0-12.5) for mumps, 2.2 % (95 % CI 1.2-3.4) for rubella, and 3.3 % (95 % CI 1.9-4.9) for varicella. Seropositivity rates were age-dependent with considerably low values in children. For example, overall MMR immunity was 90.9 % (95 % CI 88.8-93.1), but only 73.1 % of minor aged refugees displayed complete seroprevalence against all three diseases, and only 68.9 % of children and adolescents were completely MMRV immune. Conclusion: Our initial data set suggests overall satisfactory MMRV immunity in adult migrants coming to Europe, but the observed low MMRV seroprevalences in refugee children support thorough and prompt vaccination of young migrants entering Europe. Taken together, our data set underlines the urgent need to implement and validate vaccination guidelines for refugee care in the current crisis. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Author Keywords

Rubella measles Vaccination Refugees Mumps Varicella

Index Keywords

immunoglobulin blood level Germany refugee human Refugees middle aged statistics and numerical data chickenpox Aged groups by age Young Adult Humans Adolescent male preschool child female Child, Preschool summer immunology Article major clinical study adult blood analysis mumps rubella seroprevalence immunoglobulin G Seroepidemiologic Studies measles Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84979519335&doi=10.1007%2fs15010-016-0926-7&partnerID=40&md5=e39490dc87e6809c9c1d859ce9a4277a
DOI: 10.1007/s15010-016-0926-7
ISSN: 03008126
Cited by: 28
Original Language: English