Europe Approaches Rubella Elimination

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), following the 2005 WHO's resolution, Europe could soon eliminate Rubella, a disease that causes miscarriages or serious congenital disabilities in a developing baby when a pregnant woman is infected.

The CDC confirmed in an MMWR issued on June 11, 2021, the estimated coverage with the first dose of a rubella-containing vaccine (RCV1) in the European Region (EUR) was 60% in 2000. That year, 621,039 rubella cases were reported, with an incidence of 716.9 cases per 1 million population.

However, EUR's rubella coverage with the first and second doses of RCVs significantly improved over the past 10 years.

By 2019, thirty-one countries reported significant progress and achieved ≥95% RCV1 coverage. Moreover, the rubella incidence declined to 0.7 cases per 1 million population by 2019.

This vaccination progress would make EUR the second WHO region to achieve rubella elimination, the first being the Region of the Americas.

Rubella can be prevented with the MMR vaccine. This protects against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella.

The CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination.

And the CDC says the 'MMR vaccine is very safe and effective.'

In the USA, the M-M-R-II vaccine is often available at healthcare provider clinics or pharmacies.