A. Fogel et al., RUBELLA IN PREGNANCY IN ISRAEL - 15 YEARS OF FOLLOW-UP AND REMAINING PROBLEMS, Israel journal of medical sciences, 32(5), 1996, pp. 300-305
Despite extensive vaccination programs introduced in Israel since 1973
, rubella virus continues to pose a threat to pregnant women. Screenin
g for antibodies from women of childbearing age between 1980 and 1994
showed a decrease in seronegativity from 15.4% to 7% between the years
1980 and 1988, followed by an increase to 9.6% in 1991-92 due in part
to the large wave of immigration from the former USSR, and a decrease
back to 6.9% in 1993-94. The morbidity fluctuated, with peaks in 1983
, 1987 and 1991, yielding a total of 219 cases in the target populatio
n of women of childbearing age. Additional problems encountered were r
einfections, vaccine failures, and false positive results in screening
. During the study period we confirmed 35 cases of reinfections in pre
gnancy, 19 of which resulted in delivery of healthy babies. In two of
four cases of abortion following reinfection that we could follow, the
fetus was infected. Immunization of 15-month-old babies introduced in
1989 and the new policy of two-dose vaccination introduced in 1995 ar
e expected to further reduce the spread of rubella virus in the coming
years.