Rubella immunity in chemically dependent adolescent females.

Congenital rubella syndrome continues to be a problem in this country because of the continued existence of a substantial susceptibility to rubella in young women of childbearing age. The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of chemically dependent adolescent women in a residential treatment center at risk for rubella infection and to correlate their immune status with history of immunization. Although only one individual was reported as not having been vaccinated for rubella, 12.4% of the 129 subjects were found to be nonimmune by titer. No statistical relationship was found between self- or parent-reported immunization status and actual titer finding. Of the 16 women found to be not immune, only 56% were successfully vaccinated. Patient history appears to be of little value in establishing immunization status in this population. We recommend vaccination of young women in residential treatment centers who do not have documented histories of vaccination.