title: Rubella seroprevalence in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the changing need of the SAF rubella immunisation programme.
abstract: A seroepidemiological study on the prevalence of rubella antibodies in a cohort of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) recruits was conducted in 1994, twelve years after rubella immunisation was routinely given to primary 6 school boys in 1982. The results showed a high level of immunity (97.1% seropositive) in the study cohort. The implication of this finding is that it may no longer be necessary to routinely immunise recruits on entry into the SAF against rubella; the latter can be limited to those with no evidence of prior rubella immunisation.
authors.affiliation: Defence Medical Research Institute, Singapore.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Soh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral