Publication
Rubella: your questions answered
I thought I was immune, but my blood has just been tested and now they say I'm not. Why?
The reason for doing the rubella immunity test is to identify women who are at risk of catching rubella. The test measures the level of antibodies (protection) in our blood. In most cases the result of the test is clear, but some women have low levels of antibody. Although a low level of antibody may be protective, it is a good idea to have the vaccine again.
The following are reasons why you may not be fully immune:
- you thought you had rubella in the past, but you didn’t
- you thought you had the rubella vaccine, but it was a vaccine against something else
- you did have the vaccine but you were one of the few people for whom the first immunisation didn’t work
- your first or second blood test may have been misreported.
In all of the above cases you should have the MMR vaccine. If you are already pregnant you will need to wait until after you have had the baby.
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