Open AccessEpidemiology of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in Greece, 1994-2003
Author(s) -
Takis Panagiotopoulos,
T Georgakopoulou
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
euro surveillance/eurosurveillance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.766
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1560-7917
pISSN - 1025-496X
DOI - 10.2807/esm.09.04.00461-en
Subject(s) - rubella , congenital rubella syndrome , epidemiology , medicine , incidence (geometry) , outbreak , pediatrics , population , rubella virus , rubella vaccine , demography , congenital rubella , environmental health , virology , vaccination , measles , physics , sociology , optics
In 1993, there was a large epidemic of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Greece. The epidemiology of rubella and CRS after 1993 is described in this paper using information from surveillance data and published studies and reports. The incidence of rubella fell sharply after 1993, but a smaller outbreak occurred in 1999, mainly in young adults, and four CRS cases (4.0 per 100 000 live births) were recorded. A very high proportion of the child population in Greece are currently vaccinated for rubella, while teenagers are inadequately covered (60-80% in different studies). A substantial proportion of women of childbearing age are susceptible to rubella (10-20% in urban areas). This could lead to local or more extended outbreaks. This situation shows that a comprehensive preventive policy should be implemented.