Epidemic Rubella in Taiwan, 1957–1958

Abstract

RUBELLA is now widely accepted as a cause of congenital malformations and fetal death.1 2 3 4 5 Consequently, gamma globulin is commonly used to prevent rubella in pregnant women exposed to the disease. However, there has been only limited experimental evidence supporting this use of the agent.5 6 7 8 An opportunity for study of its effectiveness in the prevention of rubella was afforded by the widespread rubella epidemic that occurred in Taiwan between September, 1957, and May, 1958. Epidemic rubella had not occurred in Taiwan since 1944, and attack rates were high, with nearly 1,000,000 cases in a population of 10,000,0009; in this study, . . .