Rubella Immunisation Programme to re-start

THE Health Ministry has issued a circular to all provincial and regional directors of health, doctors, epidemiologists and medical officers of health that the reintroduction of the rubella vaccine into the Expanded Immunisation Programme is to start by this month.

The Ministry of Health Circular stated that Rubella is a viral infection which will have dreadful consequences to the fetus if contracted during pregnancy. The resulting Congenial Rubella Syndrome (CRS) would carry serious health, social and economic complications. Rubella vaccine was introduced into the EPI programme in 1996 with the objective of preventing CRS by immunising females in the child bearing age. Subsequently with the shifting of objectives to prevent rubella infection, the target group was expanded to include both males and females.

By the time rubella vaccine was temporarily suspended in 2009 consequent to two deaths due to anaphylactic shock following vaccination against rubella, the target groups for vaccination were children of 13 years and females between the ages of 16 and 44 years who could be given the vaccine at field clinics and immunisation clinics. Consequent to the temporary suspension, assessments conducted on the quality and the safety profile of the particular batch of rubella in Sri Lanka and overseas, the World Health Organisation accredited laboratories have revealed that the vaccine was in conformity with the accepted International standards.

  Taking into consideration the reports of the investigating committees, the findings on the safety profile of the vaccine and also the fact that rubella vaccine is a WHO pre-qualified vaccine, the National Advisory Committee on Communicable diseases, at its meeting held last year decided to re introduce rubella vaccine into the EPI programme.

With the reintroduction of the rubella vaccination, certain guidelines have to also be met, such as commencing the rubella vaccine on demand for all males and females above 13 years at immunisation clinic sessions conducted by Medical Officers of Health, offices or hospitals. Immunisation with rubella vaccine will not commence as part of a school health programme.

People with a history of food or drug allergies should not be immunised at a field clinic. Children or adults with a history of food or drug allergy should be immunised at the central immunisation clinic at the MOH’s office or in a hospital immunisation clinic in the presence of a medical officer and with the availability of the emergency tray as instructed by the Ministry of Health under their additional guidelines on implementing the immunisation programme.