A comparison of hospital policies for measles, mumps, and rubella infection control in Los Angeles County, 1989 and 1992

Background: A survey was conducted in 1992 in Los Angeles County, California, to assess changes since an earlier survey in 1989 in the numbers of acute care hospitals that had established policies on measles, mumps, and rubella infection control and the extent to which these policies were implemented. Methods: A questionnaire inquiring about measles, mumps, and rubella infection control was sent to ICPs of 133 acute care hospitals in Los Angeles County. The results were compared with those of a similar survey conducted in 1989. The increase in the number of hospitals with such policies between 1989 and 1992 was analyzed. Results: In 1989, 29 (28%), 9 (9%), and 65 (64%) of the 102 respondent hospitals had measles, mumps, and rubella infection control policies, respectively. Larger proportions of the 95 respondent hospitals in 1992 had measles (56, 59%), mumps (15, 16%), and rubella (69, 73%) infection control policies. Conclusions: The number of hospitals with infection control policies for measles, mumps, and rubella increased from 1989 to 1992. Efficiency and scope of such policies varied, however, and could be improved by making the policies mandatory, requiring written documentation of employee immunity, and extending policies to cover all employees. The most dramatic increase was in the number of hospitals with infection control policies for measles; this increase may have been caused by the 1987 to 1989 measles epidemic in Los Angeles County, by increased awareness of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee recommendations, or by increased sensitivity to the issue of infection control triggered by the 1989 survey.