WHO Recognises Thailand For Eliminating Rubella

The World Health Organisation officially verified Thailand’s elimination of rubella as a public health problem on September 5. A regional verification commission reviewed evidence submitted by Thai health authorities in June before conducting an additional field visit in July. Thailand becomes the seventh country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to reach the milestone, joining Bhutan, North Korea, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. The achievement follows decades of vaccination efforts beginning with Thailand’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation in 1977, followed by the introduction of rubella vaccination for schoolgirls in 1986 and all one-year-old children in 1993. Health officials cautioned that imported cases remain possible and said maintaining strong vaccination coverage will be essential to preserve the country’s elimination status.

Good news.

Nevertheless, I expect a couple of people to inform that it was the vaccine that caused the disease and that there is no such thing as rubella.