Measles vaccination coverage and immunization status of nurses: An interventional study in Türkiye.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers are more likely to contract measles than the general population. Our study aimed to assess measles vaccination and immunization levels among nurses, examine the influencing factors and implement an intervention program to increase immunization coverage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study was conducted in a university hospital in Türkiye. The study included 1012 nurses. It was an intervention study, continued between 01/11/2021 and 30/10/2023. Measles IgG and vaccination status of the participants were evaluated. Participants with negative measles IgG results who had not been vaccinated against measles or received a single dose of the vaccine were invited to the outpatient clinic to receive two doses. Participants who had received two doses of the measles vaccine and had negative measles IgG results were invited to the outpatient clinic for one dose of the measles vaccine. Nine hundred seventy-eight people participated in our study. The access frequency was 96.6%. RESULTS: Among the participants aged 21-30, 68.4 % were Measles IgG (+). Measles IgG (+) prevalence was higher in women than men (85.3 % vs. 61.0 %). The department with the lowest measles IgG positivity was intensive care (75.8 %). Measles IgG (+) prevalence became higher as the duration of employment increased. The measles seropositivity in total population rose from 83.1 % before the intervention to 94.3 % after, to 91.8 % in the 21-30 age group, and to 90.2 % in male. Sixteen people had never received measles vaccination. Of the 37 participants who had previously received two doses of measles vaccine, 22 received a single dose and after the intervention 16 (72.7 %) were positive. Only 1 person was found to have vaccine refusal during the intervention. CONCLUSION: Expanding the immunization scope in hospitals by screening for measles antibodies among healthcare personnel and vaccinating those who are seronegative can be considered an effective public health strategy.

Analysis of Knowledge About Male Breast Cancer Among Patients at Tertiary Medical Center.

In the overall population, the incidence of breast cancer in men is lower than in women. Men's breast cancer awareness is affected both by the low incidence of breast cancer in men and by the presence of a perception that breast cancer can only be seen in women in society. This study aims to determine this awareness and guide future studies on improving social awareness. This study examined male and female patients aged 18 to 75 years who were admitted to our hospital's general surgery outpatient clinic. A questionnaire containing questions about male breast cancer was administered to the patients, and the study was conducted face-to-face voluntarily. A total of 411 patients, 270 female and 141 male, participated in the study. The results showed that 61.1% of the participants were unaware of the possibility of breast cancer in men. Evaluation of the relationship between awareness and gender revealed that women were more knowledgeable than men (p = .006). Educational status also had a significant influence on awareness (p = .001). Awareness of male breast cancer in society is low. Raising public awareness of this issue will enable men to be diagnosed earlier, at a lower stage, and thus to better respond to treatment, increasing their survival time.