Screening for rubella in schools of optometry

Rubella can cause birth defects in fetuses of pregnant women who are susceptible to this disease. Because national immunization efforts have been relatively successful, most cases of rubella occur in young adults. The School of Optometry and Jefferson County Department of Health in Alabama, and the Division of Optometry in Northeastern Oklahoma, cooperated to provide a voluntary serologic rubella screening for their students. About 9% were seronegative and were immunized against rubella. To eliminate the risk of future optometrists transmitting rubella to susceptible patients, we recommend that optometry students be screened for rubella antibodies and be provided immunization if found to be seronegative.