OBJECTIVES: The Turkish Republic of Health Ministery achieved a vaccination program to eliminate both the congenital and acquired forms of rubella infection. The immunisation program has been quite successful. However 57 women have inadvertently received this vaccine while pregnant. Our aim was to investigate whether there was any risk to the fetus from rubella vaccine.
STUDY DESIGN: A total of 57 women who have inadvertently received rubella vaccine after conception at the first and second trimester were prospectively followed during pregnancy by collecting data about the outcomes of their births. The data were compared with those of pregnant women (control group, n=54) who not received rubella vaccine and who delivered in the same immunisation program period.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the maternal and gestational ages of the pregnant women who received rubella vaccine (median age 30 years, gestational age 12 weeks) and those of the pregnant women who not received rubella vaccine (median age 31 years, gestational age 12 weeks), (p>0.05, p>0.05, respectively). There was no significant difference in among the groups by regard to gravidity and parity (p>0.05, p>0.05, respectively). The mean Rubella IgG avidity test was found to be 94 indicating past infection or infection that occurred before several weeks. None of the fetus had been affected by reinfection with the rubella virus or none of the infants was born with congenital rubella syndrome.
CONCLUSION: Although the rubella vaccination does not seem to be risky in early pregnancy, the pregnancy test should be taken to all women who wants to rubella vaccination or all women should be counseled to avoid becoming pregnant for 1 month after vaccination.
Key Words: Rubella, Vaccine, Pregnancy