Rubella susceptibility in a population of prenatal care patients

Rubella is a self-limited viral infection which can have congenital rubella syndrome as a sequelae. Since the introduction of the rubella vaccine the elimination of congenital rubella syndrome has become feasible. To estimate the threat of congenital rubella syndrome in a population; the incidence of rubella, the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome and the percent of the population immune to rubella should be available. Reliable statistics are not available in Puerto Rico. This study was designed to determine the present of women in two prenatal care clinics susceptible to rubella. A correlation was done between the history of immunity and the actual immune status. The percent of women susceptible to rubella is higher than in comparable studies in the United States. The correlation between immunity and the history given by the patient was very poor. This would indicate that all primary care physicians should evaluate the immune status of women childbearing capacity and or give them the rubella vaccine. This is an important consideration for physicians in continental United States who care for Puerto Rican women.