ABSENCE OF AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RUBELLA VACCINATION AND ARTHRITIS IN UNDERIMMUNE POSTPARTUM WOMEN

In a double-blind historical cohort study, 485 underimmune women who r eceived rubella vaccine post-partum during 1985-1990 and 493 controls matched for age, place of residence and date of delivery were queried by phone concerning joint complaints following the pregnancy in questi on. Those reporting joint symptoms were invited for a personal intervi ew at which joint symptoms and dates of their occurrence were explored in detail. Nineteen women in the vaccinated group (3.9%) and 16 from the control group (3.2%) were judged to have had joint symptoms compat ible with the study definition of arthritis. The difference was not st atistically significant. Thus, we were unable to find evidence for an association between rubella vaccination of underimmune adult women vac cinated post-partum and the subsequent development of arthritis. Rubel la vaccine should continue to be used to immunize susceptible adult wo men against rubella in order to further the goal of elimination of the congenital rubella syndrome.