Not immune to rubella, should I be worried right now?

[alice93]

I'm 32 weeks and I know that I'm not immune to rubella (german measles) despite being vaccinated normally as a child. Anyway I live in west wales, and I keep seeing in the news that measles is getting spred around - I'm not sure if it's German measles but I know I've been told to stay away from all measle type infections. I'm a student so I have 4 weeks left of uni before returning to the other side of the country for Christmas - I don't need to freak out and leave before right?
It seems so unfair how people who chose not to get their kids vaccinated are jeopardising the health of others :(
Is anyone else worried about the outbreak?

Don't they test you at the initial booking visit for immunity? I thought rubella only had an effect in the early months not 7 months like you seem to be? Why not blame the shit drug company/inadequate storage of your vaccine rather than selfish parents. You can also be tested before pregnancy.

My own newborn DD was adversely affected by some selfish woman in the neo natal ward who didn't bother to say that she had chicken pox.

Yeah, I got tested at the start and that's when I found out I wasn't immune - i actually had rubella as a child so I think it's my own body which is in capable of restoring the antibodies for it! And I know it's more dangerous to have it it early on in pregnancy but it still wouldn't be good if I got it!
I'm sorry to hear about your DD and I hope she's okay now.

The weekly NOIDS report shows there have been only 2 cases of rubella in the whole of England and Wales last week, and in the last few weeks, the highest weekly total had been 10.

I think the information that there is current outbreak in Wales must be a garble.

Alice93, please speak to your midwife if you are worried, I really don't think you have to worry though. Hope the next few weeks go well for you. BTW some kids cannot be vaccinated so there is always a risk and some countries do not routinely vaccinate, and as you have said the vaccine is not always effective or long lasting, all you can do is try to protect yourself as best you can.

Oh. Haha, typical BBC hyping everything up and making people panic over nothing!! I feel silly now!

I think that the West Wales outbreak was at its worst earlier in the year. There have been something like 23 new cases in Swansea and Neath since October, but I think that it is Measles, rather than German Measles. I wouldn't worry too much, but I would be cautious. I don't plan on sitting in doctor's surgeries for too long if I can help it...and am avoiding anyone with any kind of lurgy!

I wasnt immune in my first 4 pregnancies it's unlikely you will get it, and you can't have the vaccine till after you have had the baby.
I was immunized in last couple of years at school and I know a few people out the same year that also had the jab showed they wernt immunized against it, I think sometimes the stuff they inject you with doesn't work.

I had a look on the BBC website, and they reported on a small (7 cases) outbreak of measles (not rubella) in Pontardawe in mid-October. This does not seem to have taken hold as a major outbreak (overall E/W figures constant between 39 and 49 cases over the last reporting periods). Now, given the much larger outbreaks last virus season, I should imagine that public health officials are surveillance carefully, and the media are ready to jump on the slightest hint of outbreaks. But right now, it's all at background levels and so no need to fret.

I don't think pg women are routinely tested for measles immunity - it's obviously not good to have any potentially serious illness during pg, but measles is not as hostile to the baby as rubella.