Rubella in Denmark

An average of 20 000 rubella cases were recorded annually in Denmark until 1987. In 1989, however, only 1006 cases were reported, and the true current incidence of rubella infection in Denmark is unknown but considered to be very low and <1 per 100 000 population. The significant decrease in the inci-dence of rubella mirrors the success of vaccination of rubella seronegative women of childbearing age, which was initiated in Denmark in 1980. From 1982 and onwards the national health security scheme also refunded vaccina-tion of children and the MMR vaccine was introduced in the Danish child-hood vaccination program in 1987. The low incidence has been sustainable due to these interventions, and since 1994 congenital rubella syndrome and rubella in pregnancy have been listed as notifiable infectious diseases in Denmark. Nevertheless, in order to meet the WHO goal of control of rubella in the Region, the introduction of mandatory reporting of all laboratory diagnosed rubella cases is now being considered.