September 11, 2000
The Department of Health (DH) today (11 September) calls on women of childbearing age to receive rubella vaccination if they have not already done so, at the Government maternal and child health centres or their family physicians'.
A DH spokesman said: "Rubella is generally a mild disease and most patients recover uneventfully. However, the disease can be transmitted by contact with nasopharyngeal secretions and women infected during the first few months of pregnancy may give birth to babies with congenital abnormalities."
"It is therefore important that women of childbearing age receive vaccination as a preventive measure. Pregnant women should consult their doctor if they develop fever or rash, or come in contact with persons with rubella."
"Rubella patients are advised to stay at home until they have recovered from the illness"
DH's appeal was made following notification of a case of congenital rubella syndrome affecting a baby boy. His condition is stable.
In 1978, rubella vaccination was first given to primary 6 schoolgirls and women of childbearing age to prevent congenital rubella syndrome. From 1990, a combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was offered to all male and female children at the age of one to help interrupt the circulation of the virus in the population and to build up herd immunity.
Since 1996, a second dose of MMR vaccine has been given to all children at primary 1 to further enhance the immunity in the community. The immunization coverage rate was over 98 per cent in 1999.
The spokesman said: "A single dose of rubella or MMR vaccine induces active immunity in over 95 per cent of the susceptible individuals."
"Since the introduction of the vaccination programme, the number of reported congenital rubella syndrome has dropped from 18 cases with four deaths in 1978, to one to two cases per year with no death in the last eight years."
Up to July, the total number of rubella cases notified this year was 2282, affecting mostly male aged between 20 and 39. The spread of the disease was controlled through vaccination and health advice on infected persons.