Immunity to rubella amongst service personnel.

Introduction This survey was designed to assess the efficiency of policies for the screening of Servicewomen and Medical personnel for susceptibility to Rubella infection. The causal relationship between maternal Rubella and congenital defects has been c1earlyestablished and extensively reviewed in the literature • The disease has a worldwide distribution, being endemic in Western Europe. Epidemicity is variable with major outbreaks occurring every nine to ten years in the United Kingdom. whilst there is an increased annual incidence every three to five years. The disease is not generally notifiable and the variations in signs and symptoms, plus the occurrence of subclinical infection, makes accurate estimations of incidence impossible without widespread serological surveys. The teratogenic potential of this disease has demanded adequate preventive measures in the form of Rubella vaccination for seronegative women. Since 1970, Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) policy has been to vaccinate schoolgirls between the age of 11 and 14 years. The guidelines were widened in 1976 to include screening and vaccination of women of childbearing age attending Family Planning Clinics. pregnant women, and 'other' groups. Acceptance of vaccination amongst schoolgirls has been variable with a national average of 70-75 per cent, whilst a few Area Health Authorities have introduced screening as a routine in Family Planning Clinics. Ministry of Defence policy2.5 has been in line with the DHSS recommendations and in 1976 medical officers were 'urged' to screen female nursing staff, teachers, welfare staff and medical officers, such as Obstetricians, who might act as potential sources of infection. No other definitive instructions were given about screening of female service entrants, this being a matter of interpretation for the 1976 DHSS document •