Rubella tests vital — doctor

Press, 22 November 1980, Page 1

Rubella tests vital — doctor

It is vital that ail women of childbearing age make sure ' they are immune against rubella (German measles) by : having an antibody test done, says Dr M. A. Brieseman. Deputy Medical-Officer of Health in Christchurch. People should not . confuse . English .measles fop German measles, he said yesterday.- -Some women would remember receiving injections ' 'fbf English measles . hut .that disease was vastly different from German measles because it did not affect the unborn child'. •••••• • . •

Dr. .Bries?njan said he understood the concern of representatives of the Fed-

eration for Deaf Children about the incidence of ru-bella-affected children. Asked why the Health Department had two years ago stopped the blanket immunisation of children for rubella,.. now again being urged by the federation, Dr Brieseman -said this was a decision made by the Board of Health. ' . .“No doubt .the. board’s decision was taken for a variety of reasons-such-as efficacy economics, politics and the like. There •was pressure from some groups against immunisingboys who after all are not ’affected by the condition as girls, can later, he/’. . .

Dr Brieseman said that since the blanket immunisation was stopped two years ago the programme of immunising all Form -2 girls had been very successful. “The concern now coming through is from women who. missed . the immunisations given after the 1964-65 • rubella epidemic. These women are now reaching the maximum childbearing age. “The short answer to this problem is for women to make sure they are immune before they become pregnant.” ■ There were tests to show whether a pregnant

woman had rubella but no tests to show if the baby she was carrying was in any way affected by the condition. “If a woman has any doubts she must consult her own doctor. Also, if a woman has not been immunised then she should get the simple immune injection as soon as possible. If she is pregnanand not immune, shshould stay away fron anyone with rubella,” Brieseman said.

The secretary of the Federation for Deaf Children, Mrs Marie Gunn, said yesterday that the-cessa-tion of blanket immunisa-

tion for rubella was a foolish step. “This means that half the school-age population — the boys — are still carriers of the condition.” Mrs Gunn said the Health Department should adopt a "blitz” programme urging all women to make :ure they were immunised ■eainst the disease.

“Money would be better pent now avoiding the efjcts of rubella such as ’.eafness, brain damage and blindness than in paying for special education and social facilities for children yet to be bom who may be affected by rubella.”