BACKGROUND Strategies for accelerated control of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Chile included mass vaccination of women of childbearing age in 1999 but did not include vaccination of adult men. METHODS We reviewed data from Chile's integrated surveillance system for measles, rubella, and CRS from 2004 through 2009 and describe the epidemiology of rubella outbreaks and imple...

Prior to the introduction of rubella vaccine to Australia in 1970 rubella was primarily a disease of primary school aged children. Vaccination programs have subsequently altered rubella age and sex susceptibility. Between July 2001 and June 2002, 85 per cent of the 32 laboratory-confirmed cases of rubella ascertained from enhanced surveillance in Victoria were males aged 20-42 years. This study...

During the mass measles/rubella vaccination campaign in 2003 in Iran, many pregnant women were vaccinated mistakenly or became pregnant within 1 month of vaccination. To distinguish pregnant women who were affected by rubella vaccine as primary infection from those who had rubella reinfection from the vaccine, serum samples were collected 1-3 months after the campaign from 812 pregnant women. I...

Background and Aims: Primary infections of rubella and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can lead to severe complications in pregnancy. The screening of Rubella and HCMV in pregnant women is not routinely carried out in Iran. This cross sectional study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of HCMV and rubella infections in neonates with and without congenital defects. Materials and Methods: This s...

Worldwide, it is estimated that there are more than 100.000 infants born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) each year. In 1998, standard case definitions for surveillance of CRS and rubella were developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2001, 123 countries/territories reported a total of 836.356 rubella cases. In the future more countries are expected to report on rubella as a gl...

Rubella is a viral disease with minor morbidity and few complication unless it is contracted by a pregnant woman. Rubella infection during the first trimester of pregnancy often leads to fetal death or severe congenital defects (congenital rubella syndrome, CRS). Rubella remains endemic in many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It has been estimated that 20,000 or more infants are p...

BACKGROUND Rubella is a disease of public health significance owing to its adverse effects during pregnancy and on pregnancy outcomes. Women who contract rubella virus during pregnancy may experience complications such as foetal death or give birth to babies born with congenital rubella syndrome. Vaccination against rubella is the most effective and economical approach to control the disease, a...

Background Identification of pregnant women susceptible to rubella is important as vaccination can be given postpartum to prevent future risks of congenital rubella syndrome. However, rubella antibody screening is not offered as a routine practice in antenatal mothers in government run community health clinics in Malaysia at present due to cost constraint. Instead, a history of rubella vaccinat...

A congenital rubella syndrome (Box 1) is rare in Canada, it does still occur. Many women immigrate to Canada from countries without a rubella vaccination program and may not have adequate immunity. In 2002, only 124 (58%) of 214 countries or territories around the world had implemented a rubella vaccination program. An Australian study found that women born in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South...