Australian vaccine preventable disease epidemiological review series: rubella 2008-2012.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Since the introduction of universal rubella vaccination in 1989, the incidence of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Australia has declined significantly. Worldwide, there has been a focus on elimination, with the region of the Americas declaring rubella elimination in 2011. This study aims to review Australian rubella epidemiology for the 2008-2012 period, in the context of historical and international trends.

METHODS:

Notification, hospitalisation and mortality data were sourced from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, the National Hospital Morbidity Database and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Data analysis focused on 2008-2012 for notifications and 2008-2011 for hospitalisations and deaths. ABS population data were used to calculate rates.

RESULTS:

The average annual rubella notification rate in Australia from 2008-2012 was 0.18 per 100,000 and the average annual hospitalisation rate was 0.03 per 100,000 from 2008-2011. One case of CRS was notified in 2012 and 1 hospitalisation with a principal diagnosis of CRS was recorded in 2008. The median age of rubella notifications was 29 years and 37% of notifications were for infections acquired overseas.

DISCUSSION:

Rubella continues to be well controlled in Australia and CRS is rare. The low incidence and increasing proportion of imported cases and other evidence suggest that elimination has been achieved; however, for formal verification of rubella elimination the expansion of genotypic surveillance will be required. Ongoing rubella control needs to focus on improved surveillance, maintenance of high levels of vaccine coverage, vaccination of at-risk populations in Australia, and regional and global efforts towards rubella elimination.

• Authors: Jocelyn Chan, Aditi Dey, Han Wang, Nicolee Martin, Frank Beard
• Journal: Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report (Commun Dis Intell Q Rep) Vol. 39 Issue 1 Pg. E19-26 (Mar 31 2015) ISSN: 1445-4866 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 26063094 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being given the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the Online, Services and External Relations Branch, Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or by email to [email protected].

Chemical References

• Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Australia (epidemiology)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Disease Eradication (statistics & numerical data)
• Disease Notification (statistics & numerical data)
• Epidemiological Monitoring
• Female
• Hospitalization (statistics & numerical data)
• Humans
• Immunization Schedule
• Incidence
• Infant
• Male
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine (administration & dosage)
• Middle Aged
• Rubella (epidemiology, immunology, prevention & control)
• Rubella virus (immunology)
• Vaccination