congenital rubella syndrome

The primary goal of the rubella vaccination program is to prevent the consequences of rubella infection during pregnancy––namely, abortions, miscarriages, stillbirths, and severe birth defects associated with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). In October 2014, the WHO Region of the Western Pacific endorsed the eradication of rubella as one of the priority immunization goals in the region. However, in the Philippines, there is no routine national surveillance program that identifies the effects of maternal rubella infection.

In partnership with the WHO Philippines, the Institute conducted a collaborative multicenter retrospective review from June to December 2015 in four tertiary referral centers: the Philippine General Hospital (City of Manila), the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (Quezon City), the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (Cebu City), and the Southern Philippines Medical Center (Davao City). This study estimated the baseline burden of CRS in the Philippines prior to routine vaccination. The data was crucial in monitoring the impact of rubella vaccination in the country.

In addition, the Institute published a review of studies on CRS in the Philippines, including a serologic survey conducted among pregnant women in the Philippine General Hospital who were rubella-susceptible. These studies are part of the Institutes’ contribution to the control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.