Rubella seroprevalence in Tunisian childbearing women two years after vaccination program introduction

• Published in: Pathologie biologie (Paris) Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 170 - 173
• Main Authors: Chaabouni, M, Messadi, F, Fki, L, M, Zribi, Hammami, A, Karray, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Female; Health Plan Implementation; Humans; Mass Vaccination - methods; Mass Vaccination - utilization; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - blood; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - prevention & control; Rubella - blood; Rubella - epidemiology; Rubella - prevention & control; Rubella Vaccine - therapeutic use; Rubella virus - immunology; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Tunisia - epidemiology; Young Adult; Tunisia
• ISSN: 1768-3114
• DOI: 10.1016/j.patbio.2011.01.002

Acquiring rubella during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy can lead to teratogenic effects. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of rubella vaccination strategy two years after its introduction in Tunisia in 2005. This study was conducted over two periods, 2000 and 2007-2008. A total of 15,776 childbearing women were enrolled in the sample. Serological studies were performed by using the ELISA method. Overall, rubella infection seroprevalence did not increase between 2000 and 2007-2008. Nevertheless, a significant increase in seroprevalence, from 78.2% in 2000 to 92% in 2007-2008 (P=0.006), was especially noted in the age group under 20 years. Seroprevalence did also statistically increase with parity in 2007-2008 from 77.4% in women without any parity to 89.8% in women with over three parities (P=0.01). Results improvements seem most likely due to mass vaccination campaign for girls aged from 13 to 18 years in 2005, and also routinely post-partum vaccination of seronegative pregnant women or women ignoring their rubella status. In the coming years, systematic selective immunization of 12-year-old schoolgirls who are not yet entering their prime childbearing years will achieve female population sufficient immunity.