The Sabin Vaccine Institute partnered in 2005 with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to conduct advocacy contributing to elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the Americas. An agreement signed in March 2005 defines a project that will focus on four countries: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

The project will emphasize adult vaccination and supplemental immunization activities. “Rubella, sometimes referred to as German measles, has rather benign symptoms in adults,” said Ciro de Quadros, Director of International Programs, SVI. “For a developing fetus, whose mother is exposed in early pregnancy, the consequences can be devastating.” Surveillance in the mid-1990s indicated that as many as 20,000 infants were born with CRS in the Americas each year. Today, with strong immunization programs, rubella incidence, and consequently CRS, has declined significantly. It is estimated, however, that it will take more than 20 years for CRS to be controlled by routine childhood immunization. This project will accelerate the interruption of rubella transmission by a one-time adult mass campaign to achieve more rapid decrease of the number of rubella cases and infants born with CRS.

PAHO adopted a resolution in 2003 to eliminate rubella and CRS by 2010. The project is aimed at speeding up the progress towards this goal and will serve as a pilot program in rubella and CRS elimination that might be adopted and applied in other regions of the world.

For more information about Rubella and CRS in the Americas, click here.