WHO Epidemiological Brief 21: Update on measles and rubella, European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC), AFP surveillance

(Issues 20 & 21 have been combined) 

Update on measles and rubella

The Region continues to experience a significant number of both measles and rubella cases, with more than 34 000 confirmed measles cases and nearly 4 000 suspected rubella cases in 2011. A rubella outbreak in Romania and an ongoing measles outbreak in Ukraine are of particular note and concern.

European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC)

The first meeting of the RVC took place in Copenhagen in January 2011. At this meeting, the RVC adopted a framework developed by the WHO Regional Office for Europe to document progress towards and verify the 2015 elimination goal.

Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance

In the European Region, many Member States conducting AFP surveillance are not achieving WHO targets for case detection and adequate stool specimen collection. To promptly detect poliovirus importation in a Member State, it is crucial that the targets for these two indicators are achieved.