WHO Europe: Experts meet to discuss verification process for measles and rubella elimination – Countries are committed to eradicating measles and rubella in the WHO European Region by 2015.
Based on a recommendation from the Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC), which evaluates progress towards the goal, Member States are setting up national verification committees (NVCs) to oversee the process at country level, and report their findings to the RVC. So far, 16 countries have established NVCs. WHO/Europe encourages all Member States to do so as soon as possible, and expects the NVCs to submit their first annual status reports to the RVC before the end of July 2013.
Members of the RVC and some NVCs, measles focal points in countries and virologists from 16 northern and western European Member States gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark on 29–30 January 2013 at a meeting jointly organized by WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The purpose of the meeting was to inform national experts about the process of documenting measles and rubella elimination, and to enable participants to share information on the situation at the national and regional levels and discuss action to increase vaccination coverage through routine and/or supplemental immunization activities.
Progress towards elimination
In 2012, 11 countries in the Region experienced measles outbreaks. From January to October 2012, over 20,000 cases of measles were reported in 51 countries in the WHO European Region, although 87% were reported in only 4 countries. Most cases were in young people aged 5–19 years:
<1 year: 10%
1–4 years: 23%
5–19 years: 39%
≥20 years: 28%.
Rubella showed a similar pattern in the first 10 months of 2012: over 28 000 cases were reported by 43 countries, with 99% of cases concentrated in 4 countries.
During the WHO/ECDC meeting, experts discussed how to increase vaccination coverage through routine and/or supplemental immunization.
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