Age specific rubella seroprevalence of an unvaccinated population of adolescents in Ankara, Turkey.
This study was designed to detect the age-specific rubella seroprevalence of an unvaccinated population of adolescents in Ankara, Turkey. Four hundred and forty adolescents (227 females, 213 males), aged 9-16 years, who were admitted to the Adolescent Unit from July to August 2000 were included in this study. For each participant, a questionnaire was completed and rubella-specific IgG antibodies were screened quantitatively by enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. Of the 440 patients screened for rubella antibodies, 32 (7.3%) were seronegative. Rubella seronegativity values according to sex and age groups were as follows: 15.3, 6.6, and 1.3% in females, and 12.0, 6.1, and 6.2% in males, in the age groups of 9-10, 11-13, and 14-16 years, respectively. The routine health supervision visit recommended between the age of 11 and 12 is an ideal time to immunize unvaccinated adolescents.
Kanbur
Nuray Oksuz
NO
Adolescent Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara 06100, Turkey. nuraykanbur@hotmail.com
Derman
Orhan
O
Kutluk
Tezer
T
Kinik
Erol
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011153:Population; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012411:Rubella Vaccine