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Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella seroprevalence in refugees in Germany in 2015

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Abstract

Purpose

The current extent of migration poses emerging socio–economic and humanitarian challenges. Little is known on vaccination rates in migrants entering Europe, and the implementation of guidelines for serological testing and vaccination of refugees are pending.

Methods

We conducted seroprevalence analyses for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) in 678 refugees coming to Germany during the current crisis.

Results

The mean age of refugees was 28.8±11.4 years, and 76.1 % of subjects were male. Overall, IgG seronegativity was 7.4 % (95 % CI 5.5-9.6) for measles, 10.2 % (95 % CI 8.0-12.5) for mumps, 2.2 % (95 % CI 1.2-3.4) for rubella, and 3.3 % (95 % CI 1.9-4.9) for varicella. Seropositivity rates were age-dependent with considerably low values in children. For example, overall MMR immunity was 90.9 % (95 % CI 88.8-93.1), but only 73.1 % of minor aged refugees displayed complete seroprevalence against all three diseases, and only 68.9 % of children and adolescents were completely MMRV immune.

Conclusion

Our initial data set suggests overall satisfactory MMRV immunity in adult migrants coming to Europe, but the observed low MMRV seroprevalences in refugee children support thorough and prompt vaccination of young migrants entering Europe. Taken together, our data set underlines the urgent need to implement and validate vaccination guidelines for refugee care in the current crisis.

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Abbreviations

EU:

European Union

IgG:

Immunoglobulin G

MMRV:

Mumps/measles/rubella/varicella

VPD:

Vaccine-preventable diseases

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Author information

Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany

      Alexandra Jablonka, Reinhold Ernst Schmidt & Georg M. N. Behrens

    2. German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany

      Alexandra Jablonka, Reinhold Ernst Schmidt & Georg M. N. Behrens

    3. Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

      Christine Happle, Christian Dopfer & Gesine Hansen

    4. German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany

      Christine Happle, Christian Dopfer & Gesine Hansen

    5. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

      Ulrike Grote

    6. Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

      Benjamin Thomas Schleenvoigt

    7. Department for Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany

      Annika Hampel

    8. Niedersachsen Network on Neuroinfectiology, Hannover, Germany

      Georg M. N. Behrens

    Authors
    1. Alexandra Jablonka
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    2. Christine Happle
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    3. Ulrike Grote
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    4. Benjamin Thomas Schleenvoigt
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    5. Annika Hampel
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    6. Christian Dopfer
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    7. Gesine Hansen
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    8. Reinhold Ernst Schmidt
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    9. Georg M. N. Behrens
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Alexandra Jablonka.

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    Additional information

    A. Jablonka and C. Happle contributed equally to this work.

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    Cite this article

    Jablonka, A., Happle, C., Grote, U. et al. Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella seroprevalence in refugees in Germany in 2015. Infection 44, 781–787 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-016-0926-7

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-016-0926-7

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