Rubella: Frequency of Antibody Among Children and Adults

Serum specimens from 268 individuals who were in the general population of Montgomery County, Maryland, in 1957 were tested for antibody to rubella and rubeola. The frequency of antibody to rubella increased from approximately 35% among children 1-10 years of age to 85% in the age groups 16-25 years and older. This indicates that approximately 15% of the adults sampled were susceptible to infection with rubella. The major acquisition of rubella antibody occurred among schoolage children and was several years later than that of rubeola antibody. In all age groups the frequency of rubella antibody was consistently less than that for rubeola.