title: Use of rubella seroepidemiological data for assessment of previous vaccination policy and for decision making in response to epidemics in Israel.
abstract: We examined the prevalence of rubella antibodies in a representative sample of the Israeli population. Three thousand three hundred and twenty-six sera collected during 1997 and 1998, from an age-stratified general population sample were tested for specific IgG antibodies against rubella. The sero-positivity rates to rubella were higher among females as compared with males (89.1% versus 82.3%, respectively (p < 0.001). This difference was the result of much lower sero-positivity rates among males in the age group 13-17, with the lowest value (56.3%) among subjects aged 16. Male subjects of this age group were in 2000 the target of an outbreak of rubella among 18-19-year old male recruits of the Israel Defense Force. The data of this study served to assess previous exposure to the wild virus or vaccine strains, to identify pockets of low level of immunity and contributed to decision making in response to the onset of a rubella outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. dancohen@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Kh
authors.initials: Kh
authors.lastname: Muhsen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aboudy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mendelson
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012411:Rubella Vaccine