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Research ArticleOriginal Article
Open Access

Serosurvey of measles, mumps and rubella antibodies in Saudi children

Yagob Y. Al-Mazrou, Mohamed K. Khalil, Annedore Tischer, Mohamed H. Al-Jeffri, Yasser S. Al-Ghamdi, Mohamed M. Bakhsh, Ameen A. Mishkas and Sirag A. Elgizouli
Saudi Medical Journal October 2005, 26 (10) 1551-1554;
Yagob Y. Al-Mazrou
Department of Preventive Medicine, MOH, Riyadh 11176, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (1) 4057494. Fax. +966 (1) 4028941. E-mail: [email protected]
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  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Mohamed K. Khalil
Department of Medical Education and Research Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Annedore Tischer
National Reference Center, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Mohamed H. Al-Jeffri
Department of Infectious Disease,MOH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Yasser S. Al-Ghamdi
Department of Pediatrics, MOH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Mohamed M. Bakhsh
Department of Pharmaceutics, MOH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Ameen A. Mishkas
Department of Infectious Disease, MOH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Sirag A. Elgizouli
Department of Preventive Medicine, MOH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: A serosurvey study to evaluate the proportion of children with antibodies against diseases targeted by the Expanded Program of Immunization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: Using multistage sampling techniques, we collected samples and sent them for laboratory assay from the following age groups; 100 samples at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 6 years, 13 years, and 17 years. We conducted the study from September 2001 to February 2002. We assayed sera for measles, rubella, and mumps antibodies in the measles-mumps-rubella reference laboratory in Germany, using enzyme immunoassay and plaque neutralization (PN) as a backup test for equivocal and negative samples. We only carried out a backup test for measles samples.

RESULTS: The age group of 6 months had the highest proportion with negative measles antibodies. After adding the backup test (PN), the proportions of children with protective measles antibody were; 64% at 6 months, 87% at 12 months, 91% at 18 months, 75% at 6 years, 96% at 13 years, and 98% at 17 years. Rubella antibody positivity rates (>7 IU) were 28% at 6 months, 49% at 12 months, 97% at 18 months, 98% at 6 years, and 100% at 13 years. While positivity rates in mumps were 14% at 6 months, 29% at 12 months, 59% at 18 months, 64% at 6 years, and 75% at 13 years.

CONCLUSION: The unexpected low proportion of children with protective level at 6 years, despite being vaccinated with 2 measle doses is an important phenomenon. This reflects the interference between the first and the second measles dose. The Ministry of Health decided to conduct a catch up campaign targeting 1st through 3rd grade primary schools, who did not catch the mass campaign conducted in 2000. Also, this supports the decision taken by the ministry to change the measles immunization schedule to MMR at 12 months and a second dose at 6 years of age.

  • Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Saudi Medical Journal: 26 (10)
Saudi Medical Journal
Vol. 26, Issue 10
1 Oct 2005
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Serosurvey of measles, mumps and rubella antibodies in Saudi children
Yagob Y. Al-Mazrou, Mohamed K. Khalil, Annedore Tischer, Mohamed H. Al-Jeffri, Yasser S. Al-Ghamdi, Mohamed M. Bakhsh, Ameen A. Mishkas, Sirag A. Elgizouli
Saudi Medical Journal Oct 2005, 26 (10) 1551-1554;

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Serosurvey of measles, mumps and rubella antibodies in Saudi children
Yagob Y. Al-Mazrou, Mohamed K. Khalil, Annedore Tischer, Mohamed H. Al-Jeffri, Yasser S. Al-Ghamdi, Mohamed M. Bakhsh, Ameen A. Mishkas, Sirag A. Elgizouli
Saudi Medical Journal Oct 2005, 26 (10) 1551-1554;
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© 2025 Saudi Medical Journal Saudi Medical Journal is copyright under the Berne Convention and the International Copyright Convention.  Saudi Medical Journal is an Open Access journal and articles published are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (CC BY-NC). Readers may copy, distribute, and display the work for non-commercial purposes with the proper citation of the original work. Electronic ISSN 1658-3175. Print ISSN 0379-5284.

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