The Epidemiological Profile of Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome in the United States, 1998–2004: The Evidence for Absence of Endemic Transmission

In 1969, the United States established its national rubella vaccination program. With the success of the program, 32 years later, reports of rubella reached record low numbers. To assess the achievement of elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the United States, 7 epidemiological criteria were used. Rubella cases reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System from 1998 through 2004 and CRS cases reported to the National Congenital Rubella Syndrome Registry from 1998 through 2004 were analyzed. During 1998–2000, the median number of reported rubella cases was 272, whereas, during 2001–2004, the median number reported was 13. The incidence of rubella decreased significantly, from 0.1/100,000 population in 1998 to 0.005/100,000 population in 2004. Since 2001, 5 infants with CRS have been reported—3 were born in 2001, 1 was born in 2003, and 1 was born in 2004. The epidemiological evidence strongly supports the claim that rubella is no longer endemic in the United States. To prevent future rubella outbreaks and CRS cases, current strategies must be maintained.