Student health policy of a German medical school--results of a cross sectional study concerning students' immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases

Medical students come into contact with infectious materials early in their medical education. Aim of this study was to assess medical students’ immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases and to ensure immunity against hepatitis B.

An occupational health medical was offered to all medical students with special emphasis on preclinical students. The examination included a check of the certificates of vaccination and serological tests concerning hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and, on request, HIV. A lecture on occupational risks and general precautions was given to the students.

In 7 of 804 tested students serological markers of a previous hepatitis B infection were discovered, fortunately none of the students was infectious. No case of infection with the hepatitis C virus (n=804) or HIV (n=700 tested voluntary) was identified. For 52 percent of the students vaccination against hepatitis B was necessary to guarantee protective immunity. Documented protection against other vaccine-preventable diseases as tetanus (71%), diphtheria (67%), poliomyelitis (56%), pertussis (2%), measles (32%), mumps (24%) and rubella (25%) was also insufficient.

As a result a vaccination against hepatitis B in childhood without documented response doesn't guarantee a sufficient protection. An occupational health medical at the beginning of preclinical training seems to be an adequate method of making medical students aware of occupational risks, immunization policies and the importance of occupational medicine.