title: Diphtheria, tetanus, and varicella immunity in health care workers in neonatal units.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Susceptible health care workers are at risk of acquiring and transmitting vaccine-preventable diseases to or from patients. The objective of this study was to assess antibody levels against diphtheria, tetanus, and varicella in healthcare workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antibody levels against diphtheria, tetanus, and varicella were measured in health care professionals in 2 neonatal units at the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between September and November 2002, 215 of 222 (96.8%) health care workers were studied. Of those, 122 (56.7%) gave oral information regarding their vaccination status against diphtheria and tetanus and only 9 (4.2%) had their vaccination cards. Geometric mean antibody levels against diphtheria, tetanus, and varicella were 0.89 IU/mL (95%CI, 0.73 to 1.08), 0.86 IU/mL (95%CI, 0.68 to 1.07) and 1.10 IU/mL (95%CI, 0.98 to 1.24), respectively. Using internationally accepted definitions, 200 (93.0%) and 182 (84.7%) individuals had full protection against diphtheria and tetanus, respectively. Regarding varicella, 213 (99.1%) individuals were immune and 2 (0.9%) had equivocal immunity against varicella. Of 65 (30.2%) individuals without previous history of the illness, 63 (96.9%) were immune against varicella zoster virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on serologic screening, most professionals were immune to diphtheria, tetanus, and varicella. Absence of previous history of varicella was an unreliable identifier of susceptibility to varicella zoster virus in the health care workers studied.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. ameliamiyashiro@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Amélia Miyashiro Nunes
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Renata Tonzar
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Lobato
authors.forename: Seila Israel
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: do Prado
authors.forename: Benjamin Israel
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Kopelman
authors.forename: Cláudia Macapani
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Mary Kazume Ikezawa
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Monomi
authors.forename: Lily Yin
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Weckx
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: de Moraes-Pinto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000276:immunology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013742:Tetanus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial