Seroprevalence of Measles in Healthcare Workers in South Korea

Infect Chemother. 2019 Mar;51(1):58-61. doi: 10.3947/ic.2019.51.1.58.

Abstract

There are only limited data regarding the seroprevalence of measles of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Korea. We evaluated the seroprevalence of measles in HCWs in a tertiary care hospital in Korea. A total of 7,411 HCWs born from 1952 to 1995 underwent antibody test. The overall seropositivity of measles was 73% (95% confidence interval, 72 - 74). The seropositivity of measles sharply declined from 85% in the 1986 birth cohort to 42% in the 1995 birth cohort, thus signifying pockets of under-immunity. Our data warrant the need for routine antibody tests, followed by measles vaccination or routine measles vaccination in young Korean HCWs.

Keywords: Healthcare workers; Measles; Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine; seroprevalence.