title: Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella seroprevalence in refugees in Germany in 2015.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. jablonka.alexandra@mh-hannover.de.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany. jablonka.alexandra@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7129-100X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jablonka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.|German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Happle
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin Thomas
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Schleenvoigt
authors.affiliation: Department for Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, Hospital Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hampel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.|German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dopfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology and Allergology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.|German Center for Lung Research, BREATH, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Gesine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhold Ernst
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig, Germany.|Niedersachsen Network on Neuroinfectiology, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg M N
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Behrens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009107:Mumps / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Measles; Mumps; Refugees; Rubella; Vaccination; Varicella