Sociodemographic and economic characteristics of susceptibility to rubella among women preparing for pregnancy in rural China

Abstract

There is a clear difference in rubella-specific susceptibility among rural women preparing for pregnancy of different sociodemographic and economic backgrounds. The number of rubella-susceptible rural women preparing for pregnancy, especially in relatively low GDP per capita regions in China, was high. Offering rubella vaccination to women who are rubella-susceptible and who plan to become pregnant should become one of the priorities in the field of public health work in China.

Rubella seroprevalence among mothers and incidence of congenital rubella three years after rubella vaccine introduction in Vietnam

“…We found that age groups 20-24, 25-29, and having no selfreported RCV history increased seronegativity. The youngest age group showed the highest seronegativity in previous studies during the pre/post-RCV era, 3,17,[32][33][34] indicating cumulative opportunities to be exposed to rubella virus or vaccination by age. However, younger age did not influence increased seronegativity in other studies, both before and after RCV initiation, 15,35,36 depending on the timing of rubella epidemics and the difference in vaccine coverage of each age group after changing the vaccine strategy in each country.…”

“…Some factors, including maternal education, maternal occupation, residential area, para, number of antenatal care visit, mode of delivery, baby's sex, low birth weight, and preterm birth, might be less relevant for rubella seronegativity in this study, while some of these were discussed as the relevant factors in previous studies. 3,17,34,[36][37][38][39] A limitation of the present study is that we could not discuss the effect of RCVs on the rubella seronegativity sufficiently due to the unavailability of individual vaccination record to confirm the self-reported RCV history. This study described the CRS incidence and rubella seronegativity that was reported a relatively short time after the previous rubella outbreak and vaccine introduction.…”

Seroprevalence of rubella virus among pregnant women: A 4‐year registered‐based study from family medicine and obstetric clinics in Saudi Arabia

“…A statistically significant association was reported between ordering rubella IgM and gestational age, in which more than one‐third of pregnant females in the first and second trimesters had the test, in contrast to only 27% of cases during the third trimester. This can be explained by the fact that although infection with rubella virus during pregnancy is known to be associated with adverse pregnancy consequences, congenital defects and CRS, however, this risk is greatest if the infection was contracted during early pregnancy, then decreased with the progression of pregnancy and is insignificant by week 20 5,17 …”

“…Previous studies reported that age was an independent factor affecting the seroprevalence of rubella antibodies. In some countries in which the rubella vaccine was introduced early into their national vaccination programs such as in Spain, USA and UK, the susceptibility of rubella was reported more in younger populations 5,14 . Rubella immunisation was launched in KSA in 1978 to schoolgirls, and in 1982, it was introduced as the MMR vaccine to one‐year‐old boys and girls and adolescent schoolgirls 3 .…”

“…CRS is a congenital malformation of several organs in the fetus with many manifestations such as cataracts, deafness, cardiac defects, hepatosplenomegaly, low birth weight and skin rash at birth 2‐4 . The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that annually >100 000 infants are born with CRS worldwide 2,5 . There is no available therapy for pregnant females or infants affected with rubella.…”