Rubella immune status in general practice.

A questionnaire to ascertain their rubella immune status was completed by 212 women, aged 15 to 35 years, attending selected Brisbane general practices. The results were confirmed by rubella serology in 44 per cent of the sample. Only 37 women (18%) reported a history of rubella and 163 (77%) a history of rubella immunisation. Fifty-seven per cent of women with no history of rubella or rubella immunisation were found to be immune. The immune rate for the whole sample was estimated to be 91 per cent. The results emphasise the importance of rubella immune status screening by general practitioners.