title: Seroprevalence of rubella and immunogenicity following rubella vaccination in adolescent girls in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serologic surveys conducted in different countries indicate that rubella is a worldwide infection. Several such sero surveys conducted in India have also confirmed that 6-47% of women are susceptible to rubella infection. The current study was conducted on 1,329 female adolescents in 12 districts of Maharashtra, India, to assess their serological status in terms of rubella exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  After enrollment, a pre-vaccination blood sample was collected from the participants followed by rubella vaccination (R-vac). Adverse events were monitored for the next 6-8 weeks, at which time a post-vaccination sample was collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-vaccination rubella immunity was higher in the urban (80.2%) population compared to the rural (73.1%) population. Following R-vac vaccination, out of 1,159 participants who completed the study, all (100%) in the urban and 99.5% of participants in the rural area developed antibodies against rubella.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substantial numbers of women reach childbearing age without immunity against rubella and thus are at a risk of passing the infection to their fetuses, who can then develop subsequent congenital defects leading to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). An immunization policy recommending vaccination with rubella or rubella containing vaccine is highly desirable to prevent rubella and CRS.
authors.affiliation: Serum Institute of India Ltd., Pune-411028, India. drhjs@seruminstitute.com
authors.forename: Hitt J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Vasant S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Padbidri
authors.forename: Subhash V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kapre
authors.forename: Suresh S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jadhav
authors.forename: Rajeev M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dhere
authors.forename: Sameer S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Parekh
authors.forename: Ashok D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Dudhane
authors.forename: Sunil D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Shewale
authors.forename: Gajanan S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Namjoshi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012411:Rubella Vaccine