Impact of rubella vaccination in Australia

Rubella vaccination of schoolgirls aged 10-14 years started 13 years ago in Australia; the girls were vaccinated without prior assessment of their immunity. Non-pregnant seronegative women were also offered vaccination in family-planning clinics and post partum in obstetric units. Serological follow-up of 191 schoolgirls 5 years after vaccination and 56 girls 8 years after vaccination showed that all had detectable rubella antibody, whereas 24% of 239 unvaccinated young men of similar age (18-23 years) were seronegative. In 1983, 96% of 8226 pregnant women aged 12-53 years (mean 25.3 years) had detectable rubella antibody, and since 1977 there has been a striking reduction in the incidence of deafness due to congenital rubella. These results indicate that the rubella vaccination programme in Australia is having a significant impact on both the serological status of pregnant women and on the incidence of congenital infection.