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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2008

Open Access 01-12-2008 | Research article

Reliability of medical students' vaccination histories for immunisable diseases

Authors: Sabine Wicker, Regina Allwinn, René Gottschalk, Holger F Rabenau

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2008

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Abstract

Background

Medical students come into contact with infectious diseases early on their career. Immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases is therefore vital for both medical students and the patients with whom they come into contact.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to compare the medical history and serological status of selected vaccine-preventable diseases of medical students in Germany.

Results

The overall correlation between self-reported medical history statements and serological findings among the 150 students studied was 86.7 %, 66.7 %, 78 % and 93.3 % for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, conditional on sufficient immunity being achieved after one vaccination. Although 81.2 % of the students' medical history data correlated with serological findings, significant gaps in immunity were found.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that medical history alone is not a reliable screening tool for immunity against the vaccine-preventable diseases studied.
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Metadata
Title
Reliability of medical students' vaccination histories for immunisable diseases
Authors
Sabine Wicker
Regina Allwinn
René Gottschalk
Holger F Rabenau
Publication date
01-12-2008
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2008
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-121

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