The last major epidemic of rubella swept across this country during 1963 and 1964, and left in its wake over 20,000 permanently damaged infants. During the mid-sixties, a rubella vaccine was approved for use in the U.S. which was highly effective and well tolerated by children. For over 30 years, this very effective, safe, vaccine has been available and should be capable of totally eradicating this disease, yet cases of rubella continue to occur. Rubella has long been considered a childhood disease, but is now striking mostly teenagers and adults. According to the epidemiologists studying this issue, many of those persons who are currently catching rubella within the borders of the U.S. have been born in foreign countries which have little or no vaccination program.
Unvaccinated persons arrive in the U.S. mainly from Latin American countries.
The outbreaks that are occurring in the U.S. today are often within Latino communities among young unvaccinated men. When rubella outbreaks occur in adults, CRS follows. Armed with this information and keeping in mind that rubella vaccine is inexpensive and widely available, researchers consider that eradication of rubella and CRS is feasible. The researchers recommend that efforts be expanded in the areas of routine postpartum vaccination of susceptible women, in giving attention to adolescents of both sexes, and in making sure that young men are included in rubella vaccination strategies.