title: Serological statuses of pregnant women in an urban Brazilian population before and after the 2008 rubella immunization campaign.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vaccinating populations against rubella aims to mitigate viral circulation and to ensure that women of childbearing age are immunized to reduce the incidence of congenital rubella syndrome. This study determined the serological statuses of pregnant women in an urban Brazilian population before and after the national rubella immunization campaign that was undertaken in 2008, and it assessed the socio-demographic factors associated with seronegativity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women living in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, who participated in a municipal prenatal screening program that involved blood tests for rubella, were assessed between June 2007 and May 2012. Socio-demographic factors associated with seronegativity were assessed, including the year of the blood test, categorized as before or after the 2008 immunization campaign, and the women's birth cohorts, the women's ethnicities, the gestational ages at the first prenatal visit, and the women's districts of residence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 54,717 capillary blood samples were tested for rubella. The prevalence of pregnant women who were seronegative for rubella declined from 9.4% before the national immunization campaign to 2.8% after the national immunization campaign. Women were more likely to be seronegative for rubella before and after the immunization campaign if they were born between 1990 and 2000 or delayed starting prenatal care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decline in the prevalence of pregnant women who were seronegative for rubella to <5% indicates that the 2008 Brazilian rubella immunization campaign was successful in Maceió.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Av. Lourival Melo Mota, S/N - Tabuleiro dos Martins CEP: 57072-900 Maceió, AL, Brazil. Electronic address: adriana.moura@famed.ufal.br.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avila Moura
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Rua dos Coelhos, 300 - Boa Vista CEP 50070-550 Recife, PE, Brazil; Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde (FPS), Av. Jean Emile Favre, 422-Imbiribeira CEP: 51.200-060 Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: mjuliagmello@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Júlia Gonçalves de
authors.initials: MJG
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP), Rua dos Coelhos, 300 - Boa Vista CEP 50070-550 Recife, PE, Brazil; Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Avenida Agamenon Magalhães, S/N - Santo Amaro CEP: 50100-010 Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: jailson.correia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jailson B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Correia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012409:Rubella / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012410:Rubella Syndrome, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012411:Rubella Vaccine
keywords: Congenital rubella syndrome; Immunization; Prenatal diagnosis; Rubella; Seroepidemiological studies