Health Care Workers (HCWs) are more likely to catch infectious diseases such as mumps. The Italian National Vaccine Prevention Plan suggested in January 2017 that Health Care Workers (HCWs) who operate in a hazardous workplace and did not complete the MMR vaccination cycle or are seronegative for at least one of the three vaccine viruses be given a dose of MMR vaccine. In October, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) suggested a third dose of a Mumps Virus vaccine for persons who had previously received two doses of the vaccine and who belonged to a group or community at greater risk of contracting mumps in the case of an epidemic. The researchers examined the clinical records and IgG antibody levels for mumps in 3032 HCWs who completed occupational health monitoring between January 1st, 2017, and March 31st, 2018. Serological techniques were used to screen the HCWs for measles, rubella, and mumps. Mumps seropositivity was found in 13% of HCWs, with the highest rate among those aged 18 to 36. The cost-effectiveness of two and three doses of MMR immunization was estimated. Immunization without screening was substantially more costly for both two-dose and three-dose MMR vaccination.
The findings show that in HCWs, assessing mumps antibody titers before vaccination may be a valuable supplement to vaccination, as it is more accurate and cost-effective than directly immunizing unvaccinated individuals.
Reference: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2018.1564442
