Immunisation Rates of Medical Students at a Tropical Queensland University

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Medical students are at high risk of communicable diseases.
• Previous research indicates suboptimal immunity in medical students.
• Ensuring student immunity protects both individuals and patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess documented immunity levels in medical students at James Cook University.
• To evaluate student attitudes towards occupational vaccination.
• To identify gaps in vaccine-preventable disease immunity among future healthcare professionals.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous online survey was conducted in 2014.
• Survey assessed documented immunity to key vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Attitudes towards vaccination importance were also surveyed.

Main Results:

• Only 6.6% of surveyed students had documented immunity to all assessed vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Immunity proof varied significantly, with high rates only for mandatory Hepatitis B vaccination (95.1%).
• Despite high agreement on vaccination importance (personal 98.3%, patient 95.9%), documented immunity was low for influenza, pertussis, measles, and varicella.

Conclusions:

• Medical students exhibit suboptimal documented immunity to critical vaccine-preventable diseases.
• A disconnect exists between student attitudes favoring vaccination and their actual immunity status.
• Healthcare and educational institutions must address occupational health risks and duty of care regarding communicable diseases.