1887
  1. Home
  2. Eurosurveillance
  3. Volume 23, Issue 19, 10/May/2018
  4. Article
Surveillance and outbreak report Open Access
Like 0
Download

Abstract

Rubella vaccination has been included in the United Kingdom’s (UK) routine childhood schedule for nearly 30 years. The UK achieved World Health Organization (WHO) elimination status in 2016 and acute rubella infections are rare. In the period 2003–16, 31 rubella infections in pregnancy (0.23 per 100,000 pregnancies) were identified through routine surveillance, of which 26 were in women who were born abroad. Five of the 31 rubella infections led to congenital rubella syndrome in the infant and three had confirmed congenital rubella infection without congenital rubella syndrome. An additional seven babies were identified with congenital rubella syndrome, although rubella infection in pregnancy had not been reported. Place of birth was known for six of these seven mothers, all of whom were born outside the UK, and in five cases maternal infection was acquired abroad. WHO Europe has set targets for measles and rubella elimination and prevention of congenital rubella syndrome by 2015. Vaccination uptake and rubella immunity is high in the UK population and most infections in pregnancy since 2003 were acquired abroad and in unvaccinated women. Every contact with a health professional should be used to check that women are fully immunised according to UK schedule.

© Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381
2018-05-10
2022-09-27
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381
Loading
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/eurosurveillance/23/19/eurosurv-23-19-1.html?itemId=/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Reef SE, Strebel P, Dabbagh A, Gacic-Dobo M, Cochi S. Progress toward control of rubella and prevention of congenital rubella syndrome--worldwide, 2009. J Infect Dis. 2011;204(Suppl 1):S24-7.  https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jir155  PMID: 21666168 
  2. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Americas. Progress reports on technical matters: elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome. 50th Directing Council, 62nd session of the Regional Committee. 27 September−1 October 2010. Washington DC; 2010.
  3. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. Eliminating measles and rubella. Framework for the verification process in the WHO European Region 2014. Copenhagen: WHO; 2014. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/247356/Eliminating-measles-and-rubella-Framework-for-the-verification-process-in-the-WHO-European-Region.pdf?ua=1
  4. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. Surveillance Guidelines for Measles, Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome in the WHO European Region. Update December 2012. Copenhagen: WHO; 2012. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/79020/e93035-2013.pdf?ua=1
  5. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Measles and rubella monitoring. Disease surveillance data: 1 January–31 December 2016. Stockholm: ECDC; Jan 2017. Available from: https://ecdc.europa.eu/sites/portal/files/documents/measles%20-rubella-monitoring-170424.pdf
  6. Giambi C, Montaño-Remacha C, Celentano LP, Derrough Tnational focal points for rubella. Surveillance of congenital rubella and rubella infections in pregnancy in EU/EEA countries, 2012: Current status and future perspective to monitor elimination. Vaccine. 2015;33(38):4929-37.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.07.041  PMID: 26209837 
  7. Davidkin I, Peltola H, Leinikki P. Epidemiology of rubella in Finland. Euro Surveill. 2004;9(4):13-4.  https://doi.org/10.2807/esm.09.04.00459-en  PMID: 15192259 
  8. Glismann S. Rubella in Denmark. Euro Surveill. 2004;9(4):458.  https://doi.org/10.2807/esm.09.04.00458-en 
  9. Manikkavasagan G, Bukasa A, Brown KE, Cohen BJ, Ramsay ME. Oral fluid testing during 10 years of rubella elimination, England and Wales. Emerg Infect Dis. 2010;16(10):1532-8.  https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1610.100560  PMID: 20875277 
  10. Plotkin SA. Rubella eradication. Vaccine. 2001;19(25-26):3311-9.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0264-410X(01)00073-1  PMID: 11348695 
  11. Miller E. Rubella infection in pregnancy: remaining problems. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1989;96(8):887-9.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1989.tb03340.x  PMID: 2673335 
  12. Morgan-Capner P, Wright J, Miller CL, Miller E. Surveillance of antibody to measles, mumps, and rubella by age. BMJ. 1988;297(6651):770-2.  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.297.6651.770  PMID: 3142541 
  13. Freestone DS. Programmes for the prevention of rubella during pregnancy by active immunization. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1974;28(4):258-64. PMID: 4455345 
  14. Public Health England (PHE). The Green Book, Immunisation against infectious diseases. London: PHE; 2016. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book
  15. Vyse AJ, Gay NJ, White JM, Ramsay ME, Brown DW, Cohen BJ, et al. Evolution of surveillance of measles, mumps, and rubella in England and Wales: providing the platform for evidence-based vaccination policy. Epidemiol Rev. 2002;24(2):125-36.  https://doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxf002  PMID: 12762088 
  16. Tookey PA, Peckham CS. Surveillance of congenital rubella in Great Britain, 1971-96. BMJ. 1999;318(7186):769-70.  https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7186.769  PMID: 10082699 
  17. Tookey P. Rubella in England, Scotland and Wales. Euro Surveill. 2004;9(4):21-3.  https://doi.org/10.2807/esm.09.04.00464-en  PMID: 15192264 
  18. Meissner HC, Strebel PM, Orenstein WA. Measles vaccines and the potential for worldwide eradication of measles. Pediatrics. 2004;114(4):1065-9.  https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2004-0440  PMID: 15466106 
  19. Health Protection Agency (HPA). COVER programme: April to June 2005. Commun Dis Rep CDR Wkly. 2005;15(38). Available from: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hpa.org.uk/cdr/archives/2005/cdr3805.pdf
  20. Public Health England (PHE). Quarterly vaccination coverage statistics for children aged up to five years in the UK (COVER programme): October to December 2016. Health Protection Report. 2017;11(13). Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2016-to-2017-quarterly-data
  21. Skendzel LP. Rubella immunity. Defining the level of protective antibody. Am J Clin Pathol. 1996;106(2):170-4.  https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/106.2.170  PMID: 8712168 
  22. Office for National Statistics. Births in England and Wales by Parents’ Country of Birth, 2013. Statistical Bulletin. London: Office for National Statistics; 2014. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/parentscountryofbirthenglandandwales/2014-08-28
  23. Byrne L, Brant L, Reynolds C, Ramsay M. Seroprevalence of low rubella IgG antibody levels among antenatal women in England tested by NHS Blood and Transplant: 2004-2009. Is rubella susceptibility increasing? Vaccine. 2012;30(2):161-7.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.11.045  PMID: 22119593 
  24. Hardelid P, Cortina-Borja M, Williams D, Tookey PA, Peckham CS, Cubitt WD, et al. Rubella seroprevalence in pregnant women in North Thames: estimates based on newborn screening samples. J Med Screen. 2009;16(1):1-6.  https://doi.org/10.1258/jms.2009.008080  PMID: 19349523 
  25. Giraudon I, Forde J, Maguire H, Arnold J, Permalloo N. Antenatal screening and prevalence of infection: surveillance in London, 2000-2007. Euro Surveill. 2009;14(9):8-12.  https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.14.09.19134-en  PMID: 19317973 
  26. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). BPSU - Congenital Rubella. London: RCPCH. [Accessed 30 Jan 2017]. Available from: http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/bpsu-congenital-rubella
  27. World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. Rubella in the WHO European Region. Fact Sheet. Copenhagen: WHO; 2016. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/276484/Factsheet-Rubella-en.pdf?ua=1
  28. Burki T. GAVI Alliance to roll out rubella vaccine. Lancet Infect Dis. 2012;12:15-16. Jan 2012. Available from: http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473-3099(11)70362-0.pdf-
  29. Public Health England (PHE). NHS Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening Programme: notification of cessation date for antenatal rubella susceptibility screening in England [press release]. London: Public Health England. Jan 2016. Available from: https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/152/2016/03/Gateway-letter-cessation-date-for-antenatal-rubella-screening.pdf
  30. Health Protection Agency (HPA). Guidance on Viral Rash in Pregnancy: Investigation, Diagnosis and Management of Viral Rash Illness, or Exposure to Viral Rash Illness in Pregnancy. London: HPA; 2011. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322688/Viral_rash_in_pregnancy_guidance.pdf
Rubella infection in pregnancy and congenital rubella in United Kingdom, 2003 to 2016
<p class="citation"> <span>Citation style for this article:</span> <span class="meta-value authors"> <a href="/search?value1=Antoaneta+Bukasa&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Bukasa Antoaneta</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Helen+Campbell&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Campbell Helen</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Kevin+Brown&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Brown Kevin</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Helen+Bedford&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Bedford Helen</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Mary+Ramsay&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Ramsay Mary</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Gayatri+Amirthalingam&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Amirthalingam Gayatri</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Pat+Tookey&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Tookey Pat</a></span>. Rubella infection in pregnancy and congenital rubella in United Kingdom, 2003 to 2016. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2018;23(19):pii=17-00381. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381</a> <span class="ES_Article_citation"> <span class="generated">Received</span>: 14 Jun 2017;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="generated">Accepted</span>: 04 Jan 2018 </span> </p>
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381
/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.19.17-00381
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Submit comment
Close
Comment moderation successfully completed
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error