In the first half of 2013, the incidence of rubella in Poland increased sharply. According to the data of the National Institute of Public Health, over 15 thousand people were registered by June 32. infections – almost ten times more than in the same period of 2012.
Recently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta (USA) recommended that women of childbearing age should be vaccinated against rubella before visiting Poland. A similar warning was issued to people leaving for Japan, where an increase in the incidence of the disease was also recorded.
National consultant for epidemiology, Dr. Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz informed PAP that in Poland we are dealing with the so-called a compensatory epidemic (unvaccinated years ago suffer from disease). It mainly attacked men aged 19-24 and those slightly older (aged 25-28).
It is from them that people who have not been vaccinated against this disease or have not acquired immunity against it can become infected. Pregnant women are most at risk.
This is what we expected. In our country, men who have not been vaccinated against rubella in their childhood are suffering from disease, emphasized Dr. Paradowska-Stankiewicz. In Poland, these vaccinations were introduced into the compulsory vaccination calendar in 1988 – initially, however, only applied to girls in the age of 13.
The New York Times writes that in Japan the same rubella vaccination policy, only for school-age girls, was introduced as early as 1976.
The aim of vaccination in Poland was to eliminate the risk of infection in pregnant women, when it is the most dangerous. However, children aged 5-9 still suffered from this disease and these types of infections are the most common cases.
In 1995, vaccination with the use of three-component preparations protecting against measles, mumps and rubella was introduced into the vaccination program in our country. However, these were recommended, not mandatory, vaccines, i.e. those that the parents had to pay for.
Compulsory vaccination against rubella for both sexes was already in place in Japan at that time (introduced in 1989).
Three-component vaccines were introduced to the compulsory vaccination calendar in Poland only in 2003 and were applied to the entire population, including boys. They were served to children in 13-14. month of life. A few years later, for the first time in our country, the incidence of rubella in the entire population began to decline.
The report of the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene (NIZP-PZH) in Warsaw published in 2013 shows that since then, only the so-called compensatory epidemics, albeit to a lesser degree.
Dr. Paradowska-Stankiewicz told PAP that the harbinger of another such epidemic was the increase in rubella cases in 2012 in the province. Greater Poland. These infections then began to spread to the eastern regions of the country. Recently, more cases of this disease have been registered in the province. Lublin and Lesser Poland.
In other countries, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, this does not happen anymore, but there had previously been mandatory vaccination against rubella. In the European Union, apart from Poland, more infections for this reason are found only in Romania.
In other EU countries, there is an increase in the incidence of measles. Nevertheless, measles and rubella are at the stage of complete elimination in Europe – added Dr. Paradowska-Stankiewicz.
Rubella infection is generally not serious (except in the group of pregnant women and the elderly). Most often it is diagnosed when a pink rash appears on the skin. There may also be enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck and nape, and may feel as lumps.
The infection can also manifest with fever and pharyngitis and conjunctivitis, but these symptoms are rare and are usually associated with other infections. Almost half of rubella cases may be asymptomatic.
Dr. Paradowska-Stankiewicz claims that adult women can get vaccinated against rubella, but not when they are pregnant. The administration of the protective preparation is possible no later than 3-4 months before the planned pregnancy. Rubella infection in pregnant women is most dangerous when it occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Zbigniew Wojtasiński (PAP)
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