KarunaNews Story

Nepal has eliminated rubella as a public health problem, says the World Health Organization. While German measles is a highly contagious viral infection, safe and cost-effective vaccines have made it highly preventable. Nepal introduced rubella vaccines via a 2012 immunization program, beginning with a nationwide campaign targeting children aged nine months to 15 years, with a second dose added to the routine schedule in 2016. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating earthquakes in 2015 and 2023, Nepal achieved over 95% coverage of at least one dose of rubella vaccine by the start of 2024. As well as promoting immunization month, outreach to unvaccinated children, and efforts to have districts declared fully immunized, Nepal recently introduced a robust laboratory testing algorithm, the first country in WHO’s Southeast Asia Region to do so.