title: Sero-Surveillance to Assess Immunity to Rubella and Assessment of Immunogenicity and Safety of a Single dose of Rubella Vaccine in School Girls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rubella vaccination is not yet included in National Immunization Schedule in India. Serosurvey is frequently used to assess epidemiologic pattern of Rubella in a community. Serosurveys in different parts of India have found that 6-47% of women are susceptible for Rubella infection. The present serosurveillance was conducted in Jammu, India, in two public schools.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine serological status of Rubella antibodies of school girls and assessment of immunogenicity and reactogenicity of Rubella immunization in seronegative girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study was conducted to determine Rubella serostatus in peripubertal schoolgirls aged 11-18 years and also to assess immunogenicity and safety of Rubella vaccine (R-Vac) of Serum Institute of India Ltd., Pune, in seronegative girls. For screening, pre-vaccination serum Rubella IgG antibodies were determined and to assess immunogenicity of the vaccine, post-vaccination IgG antibodies were compared with pre-vaccination levels. Safety assessment was done for a period of 8 weeks, post-vaccination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 90 (32.7%) seronegative girls were vaccinated. All girls (100%) became seropositive, post-vaccination. Clinically relevant and statistically significant increase in anti-Rubella IgG titres was observed. The adverse events were mild and self-limiting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  R-Vac vaccine used in the study demonstrated an excellent safety and immunogenicity profile.
authors.affiliation: Serum Institute of India Ltd, Pune, India.
authors.forename: Hitt
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhari
authors.forename: Tilak Raj
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.forename: Subodh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhardwaj
authors.forename: Gajanan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Namjoshi
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parekh