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Diagnostic Value of Reverse Transcription-PCR of Amniotic Fluid for Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Rubella Infection in Pregnant Women with Confirmed Primary Rubella Infection

ABSTRACT The diagnostic value of RT-PCR of amniotic fluid (AF) for prenatal diagnosis of congenital rubella virus infection in 45 pregnant women with confirmed primary infection was assessed. Specificity of RT-PCR was 100% and sensitivity ranged between 83 and 95%.

Rubella control in France.

In the pre-vaccination era, rubella was regarded as only a mild exanthematous acute viral infection of children. The devastating effects of the disease were first identified in the early 1940s by an Australian ophthalmologist, and further confirmed during the 1962-65 rubella pandemic in Europe and the United States. They result from the transmission of the virus by infected pregnant women to their fetus. The resulting congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) comprises a lengthy list of abnormalities. The most common ones are deafness, ocular and cardiac defects and mental retardation. The objective of rubella vaccination, to which France has subscribed, is the elimination of CRS [1].

Low measles vaccination coverage among medical residents in Marseille, France: reasons for non-vaccination, March 2013

BACKGROUND During 2008-12, France and Europe experienced large measles outbreaks, involving also healthcare workers (HCW). We aimed to estimate the vaccination coverage (VC) of measles among medical residents of the University of Aix/Marseille, in South-Eastern France. METHODS In March 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional study among all medical residents of the Medical Faculty of Aix/Marseille. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect information on self-reported VC and reasons for vaccination and non-vaccination. We compared proportions, using the chi-squared test and prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS Of 1152 eligible residents, 703 (61%) participated in the study and 95 (14%; 95% CI: 12-17%) reported having had measles in the past. Of all participants, 613 (93%; 95% CI: 91-95%) reported having been vaccinated against measles and 389 (76%; 95% CI: 73-80%) received two doses. Only 268 (38%) reported having visited an occupational health physician. Vaccinated individuals were more likely to report easy access to vaccination as the main motivation for measles vaccination, compared with unvaccinated residents (435; 71% and 21; 45%; P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS VC among the medical residents of the University of Aix/Marseille was well below the recommended 95% coverage for two doses of measles vaccination. The majority of the study participants had not visited an occupational health doctor. Lack of easy access seems to represent major barriers to measles vaccination. We recommend that the student union, occupational health services and hospitals co-operate and address these problems in order to improve VC in this group.