Rubella and tick-borne encephalitis vaccination rates among staff and students at Austrian University of Applied Sciences

Abstract

Objectives: Rubella and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are infectious diseases caused by viruses. Rubella is an air-borne infection. TBE, on the other hand, is transmitted by virus-infected ticks. Both diseases show specific symptoms after an incubation period of approximately 10 days. The Austrian vaccination plan recommends vaccinations against both viruses, as only these can protect against both infectious diseases. Because of both, an increase in measles infections and the high endemic rate of TBE in Austria, our goal was to evaluate the vaccination rate, antibody titre and general level of knowledge with respect to these two infections amongst adults in order to identify possible nescience regarding booster vaccination and general titre rates.

Methods: One hundred ninety-nine people participated in the study of the TBE and rubella titre determination. We used indirect ELISA and asked the volunteers to complete a questionnaire.

Results: The analysis of the results showed a vaccination coverage rate of over 90% for both diseases.

Conclusion: Our findings lead to the conclusion that the protection through immunization is very high and the vaccines used are extremely effective, particularly as some individuals do not adhere to the recommended vaccination schedule.

Keywords: rubella; tick-borne encephalitis; vaccination; vaccination rate.