Objective: IIt is aimed to determine the immunity status of Hacettepe University health sciences faculty students against diseases specified in the Türkiye Ministry of Health’s Health Personnel Screening Protocol for Communicable Diseases.
Method: The data of patients who were admitted to Hacettepe University Family Medicine outpatient clinics between 01.01.2018-31.12.2023, and were tested for at least one of the following tests: HAV antibody (anti-HAV IgG), Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody against Hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-Hbs), HCV antibody (anti-HCV), HIV antibody (anti-HIV), measles antibody (Measles IgG), mumps antibody (Mumps IgG), rubella antibody (Rubella IgG), varicella antibody (VZV IgG), were retrospectively
Results: The median age of 9050 students was 22 (min=18, max=30, IQR=2), 6253 (69.10%) were female. While five (0.1%) students were HIV-positive, no HCV-positive students were found. The most immunized diseases were Rubella (97%), Varicella (93%), and Hepatitis B (80%); the least immunized disease was Measles (36.9%). AntiHbs and VZV IgG positivity were higher at younger ages (p<0.001).Conclusions: As measles cases have begun to emerge in Türkiye, the low measles immunity identified in this study is concerning. It was found that the immunization rates among students at our university are generally lower than those among healthcare professionals in Türkiye. It is important to improve the implementation of the Ministry of Health’s Protocol for Screening Healthcare Personnel for Infectious Diseases and to ensure that screening and immunization efforts reach all healthcare professionals and students in health sciences faculties effectively.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Family Medicine |
Journal Section | Research Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | December 5, 2024 |
Submission Date | June 14, 2024 |
Acceptance Date | November 13, 2024 |
Published in Issue | Year 2024 Volume: 15 Issue: 53 |