Survey of Antibody Status against Infectious Viral Diseases in Pharmacy Students Prior to the Start of Practical Training

Abstract

Epidemic viral infections (such as measles, rubella, varicella, and mumps) are vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Healthcare workers are frequently exposed to infectious pathogens. Therefore, healthcare workers immunity to infectious diseases is paramount to prevent them from becoming an infection source, proliferating a disease. However, not only healthcare professionals but also students of technical medical training institutes often interact with a variety of patients. Nihon Pharmaceutical University require students to confirm their possession of antibodies for epidemic viral infections and hepatitis B before initiating practical training. The university conducts an antibody titer test of each student immediately before practical training (in year four). Therefore, we confirmed the antibody titers of epidemic viral infections and hepatitis B at the time of medical checkups for all new fourth-year students of the Department of Pharmacy at Nihon Pharmaceutical University from the academic year 2021 to 2023. Our analysis of this report revealed varicella had the highest percentage of students with antibody titers for epidemic viral infections (with 80–90% of students). Rubella and mumps were also present in 40–50% of the students. Conversely, few students had adequate antibodies for measles (approximately 20%) or hepatitis B (0–3%). The reason for the high antibodies to chickenpox may be natural immunity due to infection from the infectious agent and the impact of routine vaccination. However, this poor result may be due to a primary vaccine failure (causing no antibodies to be attained after vaccination) or a secondary vaccine failure (as immunity reduces with time after vaccination). The hepatitis B vaccination purpose in Japan may have influenced the outcome. Epidemic viral infections and hepatitis B antibody status of pharmacy students are limited. Therefore, it is important to improve student vaccination rates to reduce healthcare-associated infections. It is also important for pharmacy institutions to promote student vaccinations.