Identifying Risk Factors for Rubella Susceptibility in a Population at Risk in the United States

Since the early 1990s, rubella disproportionately affected non-US-born Hispanic persons in the United States. In 2000, 149 (78%) of the 192 rubella cases were among Hispanics, and 23 (77%) of the 30 infants with congenital rubella syndrome reported between 1997 and 2000 were born to non-US-born Hispanic mothers.1–5 The US childhood rubella vaccination program was started in 19691; however, many other countries do not have, or have recently implemented, rubella vaccination programs.6 Foreign-born workers in certain US industries (e.g., meat- and poultry-processing plants) appear to be at increased risk for rubella, suggesting higher susceptibility rates.7–9 In 2000, a varicella outbreak occurring among Mexican-born adults, most of whom worked in a poultry-processing plant in southern Alabama, provided an opportunity to test for rubella susceptibility.10 Vaccine was offered to susceptible persons. We describe risk factors for susceptibility among these workers.