Evaluation of Immunity against Rubella and Measles Nine Years after Mass Vaccination Program in Babol Medical Students in Iran

Abstract Background and Aims: Medical students are exposed to various infectious diseases during their clinical training period, including measles and rubella. In Iran, to control the outbreaks of measles and rubella a mass vaccination campaign was conducted on 2003. The present investigation evaluates Immunity to measles and rubella in a group of Babol medical students and determines the prevalence of medical students susceptible to these infections. Materials and Methods: A total of 191 medical students (preclinical and clinical) from College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Babol University of Medical Sciences enrolled in this cross-sectional study. IgG antibodies for measles and rubella was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 60 (31.4%) students had insufficient measles immunity or were totally non-immune, whereas non-immune status to rubella was seen in 1 (0.5%) subject. Conclusion: This study showed insufficient measles immunity in a group of Babol medical students.