AJPH
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Irons, B.
Right arrow Articles by de Quadros, C. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Irons, B.
Right arrow Articles by de Quadros, C. A.
Related Collections
Right arrow Global Health
Right arrow Health Policy
Right arrow Immunization/Vaccines
Right arrow Other Infections

American Journal of Public Health, Vol 90, Issue 10 1545-1549, Copyright © 2000 by American Public Health Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Strategies to eradicate rubella in the English-speaking Caribbean

B Irons, MJ Lewis, M Dahl-Regis, C Castillo-Solorzano, PA Carrasco and CA de Quadros
Division of Vaccines and Immunization, Pan American Health Organization, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

OBJECTIVE: This report presents the strategies used to eradicate rubella in the Caribbean region and the challenges faced by that effort. METHODS: Using the surveillance system for measles cases that was instituted in all countries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), 12 countries confirmed cases of rubella between 1992 and 1996. Rubella infections occurred in epidemic proportions in 6 countries during that period. RESULTS: On the basis of the rubella prevalence data, rubella-congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) cost-benefit analysis, and cost-effectiveness of the mass campaign, the Council for Human and Social Development of CARICOM resolved, on April 21, 1998, that every effort would be made to eradicate rubella, as well as to prevent the occurrence of new cases of CRS by the end of 2000. Using the Pan American Health Organization's template for measles eradication, CARICOM proposed and implemented the main strategies for rubella and CRS eradication, and rubella mass campaigns were conducted in 18 countries. The target population, which included males and females (aged 20-40 years), was approximately 2.2 million. CONCLUSION: The major challenges for rubella eradication are attaining high vaccine coverage in the adult population and maintaining an effective surveillance system able to detect rubella activity.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2000 by the American Public Health Association