ECDC marked the European Immunisation Week with a focus on assisting EU Member States eliminate measles in their population. The root cause of the continued measles transmission in the EU is the sub-optimal uptake of MMR vaccination over several years.
To mark European Immunisation Week, ECDC gathered public health experts, behavioural specialists and social marketing professionals to find innovative ways on how to fight the spread of measles 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.
Universal screening of pregnant women is feasible and has led to immunisation in nearly all identified cases in Denmark. As a consequence of the study the National Board of Health has made universal HBsAg screening of pregnant women permanent in the country.
The role of doctors and healthcare workers in direct contact with parents and children is paramount," said ECDC Director Dr. Marc Sprenger at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany.
At his annual hearing with the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger described the resurgence of measles in the EU as “one of the major events of this new decade”.
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.