Low Rates of Immunity among Medical Students and Residents in the Era of the Resurgence of Measles
Cristiana Ferrari,
Giuseppina Somma,
Vittorio Caputi,
Michele Treglia,
Margherita Pallocci,
Fabian Cenko,
Ersilia Buonomo,
Mariachiara Carestia,
Luca Di Giampaolo,
Ole F. Olesen,
Luca Coppeta
Affiliations
Cristiana Ferrari
PhD Program in Social, Occupational and Medico-Legal Sciences, Department of Occupational, Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
Giuseppina Somma
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
Vittorio Caputi
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
Michele Treglia
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
Margherita Pallocci
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
Fabian Cenko
Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of “Our Lady of Good Counsel”, 1000 Tirana, Albania
Ersilia Buonomo
Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of “Our Lady of Good Counsel”, 1000 Tirana, Albania
Mariachiara Carestia
Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of “Our Lady of Good Counsel”, 1000 Tirana, Albania
Luca Di Giampaolo
Department of Occupational Medicine, University of Chieti “G. D’Annunzio”, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Ole F. Olesen
European Vaccine Initiative, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg (Heidelberg University Hospital), Voßstraße 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Luca Coppeta
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease spread through respiratory droplets. The number of reported cases increased worldwide in 2023, particularly in the European Region. Italy reported 213 cases in the first quarter of 2024, with most of them in unvaccinated adults aged 15–64. Maintaining high vaccination coverage is essential to prevent outbreaks, especially in healthcare settings where measles transmission is a significant risk. In our study, we collected serological and demographic information from all Italian and foreign medical students and residents (850) who underwent a pre-training assessment at the Tor Vergata Occupational Medicine Service, Rome, between 3 April 2023 and 31 January 2024. Of the 850 students and residents analyzed, we found only 546 (64.2%) with a protective level of IgG antibodies against measles, with a median IgG level of 2.00 AI. A significant proportion of students and residents were serologically non-immune, raising concerns about the potential risk of hospital transmission. To manage this risk, it is important to assess serological levels, vaccinate those with inadequate levels, and promote vaccination in the general population.
