SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY OF RUBELLA IN A REPRODUC TIVE AGE FEMALE-POPULATION IN LEON, GUANAJUATO

In order to asses the seroepidemiology of protective antibodies agains t rubella among women from Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, a prospective stu dy was done. The sample consisted in 1 76 serum samples from urban and rural women at reproductive age, drawn from June 1990 to June 1991. S amples were tested by the classic hemagglutination inhibition method, titers of 1:8 or higher were considered as positive. Global positivity was 71 per cent (125 sera). Seropositivity did not increase with wome n's age; the lowest values were seen at the rural zones (58.9%). This survey showed a lower seropositivity than the previously reported in M exico, and confirms data from new official studies. With this informat ion authors suggest that the utility and viability of a national vacci nation program should be reviewed and propose that it could be risky t hat individual clinicians to recommend children vaccination because th e lack of coordination could increase adult cases of rubella.