Surveillance and Control of Rubella in the Republic of Korea From 2001 to 2009: The Necessity for Enhanced Surveillance to Monitor Congenital Rubella Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review the epidemiologic data of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) supplied by surveillance systems from 2001 to 2009 and to propose measures to improve the quality of the surveillance system in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: The epidemiological data for rubella and CRS cases reported to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2001 to 2009 were retrospectively reviewed, and insurance reimbursement data from the Korea National Health Insurance Review Agency were collected for comparison. RESULTS: The number of yearly reported rubella cases to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2001 to 2009 was 128, 24, 8, 24, 15, 12, 35, 30, and 36, respectively. The occurrence of rubella shifted to a slightly higher age group during the 9-year period, i.e. from 0–9 years to 10–19 years. Among the 309 reported rubella cases, three were confirmed cases of CRS. In addition, according to data sourced from Health Insurance Review Agency, 24, 19, 19, 9, and 5 CRS cases were reported for medical insurance reimbursement from 2005 to 2009, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to available surveillance data, the reported cases of rubella and CRS were not high, but a more detailed surveillance with emphasis on susceptible women of childbearing age is necessary for better monitoring and control of rubella and CRS in the Republic of Korea.