Epidemiologic Reviews Advance Access originally published online on June 14, 2006
Epidemiologic Reviews 2006 28(1):81-87; doi:10.1093/epirev/mxj007
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ARTICLES |
Prevention of Congenital Rubella Syndrome—What Makes Sense in 2006?
1 Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2 Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3 National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Correspondence to Dr. Joan Robinson, Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Room 8213, Aberhart Centre One, 11402 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G, Canada (e-mail: jr3{at}ualberta.ca).
accepted for publication April 4, 2006.
This review summarizes the practical aspects of rubella immunization programs in both developed and developing countries. Routine use of rubella vaccine is gradually resulting in the elimination of endemic rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the developed world, and routine use of vaccine in young children is now being implemented in many developing countries. However, such programs must achieve high immunization rates or be supplemented by the immunization of seronegative women of childbearing age to prevent a paradoxical increase in CRS as the burden of illness is shifted to an older age group. There are many successful prenatal screening programs for rubella immunity in developed countries, but screening prior to pregnancy could theoretically prevent even more cases of CRS. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is the most commonly used laboratory test for screening, but the protective titer remains to be established. The need for reimmunization of women who serorevert or who remain seronegative following rubella vaccine has not been established. Surveillance for rubella cases and for CRS is vital in assessment of the ongoing success of rubella immunization programs.
antibodies, viral • immunization programs • rubella • rubella syndrome, congenital • rubella vaccine • rubella virus
CRS, congenital rubella syndromeELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assayMMR, measles-mumps-rubellaWHO, World Health Organization
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. A. Ibrahim Editorial: Vaccines and Public Health Epidemiol. Rev., August 1, 2006; 28(1): 1 - 2. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. R. Hinman, W. A. Orenstein, and L. E. Rodewald Vaccines--Victories and Challenges Am. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2006; 164(3): 197 - 199. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|