Survey and Age-stratified Analysis of Measles Antibody Levels in Our Hospital Staff

Abstract

  Measles antibody levels were measured for age-stratified analysis in the 530 staff of our hospital. Antibody measurement was performed by the gelatinous particle agglutination test (particle agglutination: PA method) and enzyme linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) method. The correlation between these methods suggested that the inexpensive and easy PA method was adequate for measurement of measles antibody levels. Staff were divided into 3 groups, antibody negative group (8 times or below), inadequate antibody positive group (16-64 times) and adequate antibody positive group (128 times or more). The mean age was 27.29±5.35 years, 41.05±13.69 years and 37.70±11.63 years, respectively, indicating that the negative antibody group was significantly younger. The mean measles antibody level by the ELFA method was 1.83±0.94 in staff aged 29 years old or under, and significantly lower than 2.60±1.12 in staff aged 30 years old or over. Measles vaccination involves regular inoculation in people 29 years old or under, so a relationship with vaccination was indicated. One staff member was considered to have secondary vaccine failure. People aged 18 years old or under have become the target for vaccination twice against measles, but people 19 years old or over are not the target for regular second inoculation. To reduce the population with secondary vaccine failure as far as possible, an antibody test should be conducted before commencing employment at a medical institution, and vaccination repeated if necessary to prevent infection or becoming an infection source.