Rubella seroprevalence in women in the reproductive period, Mersin, Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the rubella seroprevalence in women of reproductive age. This cross-sectional study was conducted on women aged 15-49 years. Serologic studies were performed by using the ELISA method. The number of women enrolled in the study was 607, the mean age was 30.7+/-9.3 years and 13.2% of the participants were living in the rural area. Rubella seroprevalence was 55.0%. This ratio was 77.5% in women living in the rural area (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant correlations between immunity to rubella and other socio-demographic characteristics. In conclusion, women in this age group are advised to have a single dose of rubella vaccination in order to avoid CRS before pregnancy.