ECDC convened a meeting of public health experts and successful professionals with experience in management, marketing, campaigning, behaviour change and other professional areas. The purpose of the event was to generate new ideas for promoting measles vaccination in Europe.
The goal of eliminating rubella and preventing CRS by 2015 could be achieved and maintained adopting a comprehensive approach to ensure high vaccination coverage.
Elimination of rubella and prevention of congenital rubella infection in Europe has been a high priority for the WHO European Regional Office over the past decade. In 2010 the WHO regional committee for Europe renewed its commitment to the elimination of rubella and prevention of CRS with a new target of 2015. For Central Europe to reach the target of rubella elimination and prevention of CRS by 2015, very high vaccine coverage levels need to be maintained and catch-up campaigns continued to address susceptible groups, in particular women of child-bearing age.
In an editorial in the scientific journal Eurosurveillance, ECDC noted that, based on numerous studies, paediatricians, family practitioners and nurses form the backbone of each national immunisation programme in the EU.
Starting 15 September 2011, ECDC will be coordinating the former EUVAC.NET network. It is a surveillance network covering measles, mumps, rubella, congenital rubella, pertussis and varicella EU Member States and three countries of the European Economic Area. Data will be hosted by the European Surveillance System (TESSy) at ECDC.
ECDC and WHO Europe jointly release “MESSAGE - MEaSles and rubella Self Assessment GEnerating tool” for public health experts, to facilitate assessment of the progress made towards measles and rubella elimination.