WHO issues updated guidance on verifying the elimination of measles and rubella


Revised guidance on verifying the elimination of measles and rubella, and monitoring progress in at least 5 WHO Regions by 2020, is the focus of a framework prepared by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).

The updated guidance, published in WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record today, draws on the experience gained in Regions and countries, and provides a description of the process of verification and definition of key terms and surveillance indicators, as well as an approach to the integration of rubella surveillance into measles and rubella elimination activities.

The guidance is intended to ensure alignment between the activities of different WHO Regions and it has been developed for settings where the aim is to interrupt transmission of both measles and rubella. The framework emphasizes that the achievement of measles and/or rubella elimination should be verified for individual countries and areas, and eventually for each of the WHO Regions as a whole following a standardized process.

Countries are working hard to meet the targets established in the Global Vaccine Action Plan for 2011 – 2020, and the publication of this framework is timely given the challenges that lie ahead.

For a copy of the full guidance, please see: https://bit.ly/Z2qugL

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