Compliance with immunization and a biological risk assessment of health care workers as part of an occupational health surveillance program: The experience of a university hospital in southern Italy

Bianchi, Francesco Paolo; Vimercati, Luigi; Mansi, Francesca; Nitto, Sara De; Stefanizzi, Pasquale; Rizzo, Letizia Alessia; Fragnelli, Grazia Rita; Cannone, Enza Sabrina Silvana; Maria, Luigi De; Larocca, Angela Maria Vittoria; Tafuri, Silvio

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2019.09.024

Cited by 29 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Regarding measles and rubella, a reported high vaccination coverage was found in our survey, thanks to the National Plan of Measles and Congenital Rubella Elimination (PNEMoRC) 2010-2015, which strongly recommended vaccination of susceptible adults at risk of contracting and transmitting disease, such as health professionals [44]. In fact, our survey showed that most PHPs contracted measles (44.5%) and varicella (65.8%) during their lifetimes because both diseases were endemic in some Italian regions [18]. Occupationally acquired mumps, measles, varicella, rubella, and pertussis can be associated not only with prolonged morbidity in HCWs and patients but also with the occurrence of severe complications [45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Adherence to Vaccination Policy among Public Health Professionals: Results of a National Survey in Italy

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Starting from 2013, the number of unvaccinated people alarmingly increased in Italy; therefore, in 2017 a new Vaccine National Plan was approved. Healthcare workers (HCWs), especially public health professionals (PHPs, i.e., workers in in the sector of hygiene and preventive medicine), have an important role in informing and promoting vaccinations. In this context, the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (GISIO-SItI) conducted a national survey to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices towards recommended vaccinations among PHPs. The survey was conducted during October 2019 with an anonymous questionnaire distributed to PHPs attending the 52° SItI National Congress. Overall, 57.1% of operators answered correctly to all seven recommended vaccinations, 12.8% reported to be vaccinated for all seven recommended vaccinations, while 30% were naturally immunized. A higher immunization coverage was reported for anti-hepatitis B (88.9%) and measles (86.1%), and 81.3% of the participants reported being offered the influenza vaccination during the 2018/2019 season. The majority of our sample indicated that hepatitis B (95%) and influenza (93.7%) were the recommended vaccines for HCWs, while less was known regarding varicella, pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus boosters every 10 years. PHPs who were vaccinated (or who intended to be vaccinated) were more likely to recommend vaccinations to their patients and provided a reassuring example to those hesitant patients. Finally, this is the first study that identified good algorithms (using the techniques of machine learning as Random Forest and Deep Learning) to predict the knowledge of PHPs regarding recommended vaccinations with possible applications in other national and international contexts.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…In Italy, several studies have been conducted on HCW vaccination coverage [18][19][20][21][22], but few studies have investigated the knowledge and risk perception of vaccinations [23][24][25][26], and to our best knowledge, none specifically addressed PHPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adherence to Vaccination Policy among Public Health Professionals: Results of a National Survey in Italy

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The HCWs in our unvaccinated group were slightly younger than those in the vaccinated group and the vaccination rate was higher among physicians than among other healthcare professionals. In a previous report [17], however, older age was identified as a determinant of vaccination hesitancy/refusal, while being a physician was a determinant of vaccination compliance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in the Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Symptomatic Disease in Five-Month Follow-Up: A Retrospective Cohort Study

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, a mass vaccination campaign was initiated in Italy on December 27, 2020. The vaccine available to immunize Italian healthcare workers (HCWs) was the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty). This study evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccine against documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic diseases in the medium- to long-term. HCWs at Bari Policlinico University-Hospital (Italy) who completed the vaccination schedule were matched with HCWs who had refused vaccination; the two groups were followed-up for 5 months (January–May 2021). Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection was 97.7% (95.4–99.0%) at 14–34 days after the first dose, and 94.8% (87.0–97.8%), 83.0% (65.0–92.0%), and 81.0% (42.0–94.0%) at 14–41, 42–69, and >69 days, respectively, after the second dose. The estimated VE for documented symptomatic disease was 99.2% (96.4–99.8%) at 14–34 days after the first dose and 97.2% (90.3–99.2%), 85.0% (63.0–94.2%), and 88.0% (42.0–97.6%) at 14–41, 42–69, and >69 days, respectively, after the second dose. Efforts to increase vaccination rates should be strengthened, including mandatory vaccination for HCWs and greater incentives to increase vaccine acceptance by the general population.

show abstract

“…In the absence of a revised strategy, our combined screening and vaccination approach allows safe access to healthcare environments by ensuring that HCWs are immune to circulating pathogens responsible for preventable diseases. The introduction of a third MMR dose for serosusceptible HCWs, both vaccinated and naturally immunized, showed high levels of efficacy and safety; furthermore, the above described strategy showed good compliance by health personnel, a critical determinant in the immunization of HCWs, as evidenced by many studies in literature 38 , 39 The benefits of our approach also include economic ones, as it will lead to a lowering of the risk of measles outbreaks and therefore their associated costs; 40 indeed, the cost of serological screening eventually followed by third MMR dose has less impact on public funds compared to the measures required in the context of epidemic outbreaks. Our screening model is applicable and implementable in a short time for HCWs in epidemiological contexts similar to that described by us; over time the results of further experiences will confirm the effectiveness of this strategy and the effects on the field could be measured with a zeroing of nosocomial clusters of measles in the structures where it is applied.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Long-term immunogenicity after measles vaccine vs. wild infection: an Italian retrospective cohort study

Bianchi

Mascipinto

Stefanizzi

et al. 2021

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The persistence of specific IgG after measles infection and after measles vaccination has not been sufficiently investigated. Current evidence suggests that immunity after the disease is lifelong , whereas the response after two doses of measles-containing vaccine declines within 10-15 years. This study evaluated the proportion of individuals with detectable anti-measles IgG in two groups, those vaccinated with two doses of anti-MMR vaccine and those with a self-reported history of measles infection. Among the 611 students and residents who were tested, 94 (15%) had no detectable protective anti-measles IgG. This proportion was higher among vaccinated individuals (20%; GMT = 92.2) than among those with a selfreported history of measles (6%; GMT = 213.3; p < .0001). After one or two MMR vaccine booster doses, the overall seroconversion rate was 92%. An important proportion of people immunized for measles did not have a protective IgG titer in the years after vaccination, but among those who had a natural infection the rate was threefold lower. This finding should be considered in the pre-elimination phase, given the resurgence of measles cases among individuals who after being vaccinated lost their circulating IgG after several years, especially if they failed to receive a natural booster.

show abstract

Compliance with immunization and a biological risk assessment of health care workers as part of an occupational health surveillance program: The experience of a university hospital in southern Italy

Cited by 29 publications

References 28 publications

Adherence to Vaccination Policy among Public Health Professionals: Results of a National Survey in Italy

Adherence to Vaccination Policy among Public Health Professionals: Results of a National Survey in Italy

BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in the Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Symptomatic Disease in Five-Month Follow-Up: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Long-term immunogenicity after measles vaccine vs. wild infection: an Italian retrospective cohort study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About