BMJ 2001;322:1489
( 16 June, 2001 )
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7300/1489
Letters
In England and Wales fewer than 40 terminations associated with rubella
vaccination have been reported over the past 10 years, compared with over
400 in the previous 10 years.4 Over 100 live
born infants have been reported to the rubella vaccination in pregnancy study,
which is part of the national congenital rubella surveillance programme; 60% of
their mothers were known to be susceptible to rubella at vaccination. No infant
has been reported with congenital rubella syndrome. Nevertheless, among
25 tested infants whose susceptible mothers were vaccinated more than one
week after conception, four had rubella immunoglobulin M at birth. Although
it is reassuring that no child has been born with symptoms attributable to
congenital rubella infection, it is quite another matter
Pat Tookey
National Congenital Rubella Surveillance Programme, Institute of Child Health, London WC1N
1EH p.tookey@ich.ucl.ac.uk