Low Immunity to Measles and Rubella among Female Guest Workers, Northern Mariana Islands

摘要

To the Editor: The Common-wealth of the Northern Mariana Is-lands (CNMI), a group of northern Pa-cifi c islands in political union with the United States, was exempt from US labor laws until 2007. This exemption attracted business opportunities, which led to a high demand for guest work-ers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the US Citi-zenship and Immigration Services of vaccination requirements for those ap-plying for immigration and work visas before the applications are approved (1). Since 1996, all applicants born af-ter 1957 and >12 months of age have been required to provide evidence of completed vaccination against, or of immunity to, measles, mumps, and ru-bella viruses. Those unable to provide such evidence must receive at least 1 dose of the vaccines recommended by