Massive measles, rubella vaccination campaign kicks-off

Rubella infections generally cause relatively mild diseases in children, but in adolescents and adults, may affect joints and the brain, health experts say. Rubella infection in pregnant women can cause foetal deaths or congenital defects, with over 100,000 babies born with this condition annually worldwide. Measles, on the other hand, is one of the leading causes of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available.

In Botswana, between 2011 and 2015, 935 cases of rubella were recorded with 502 cases occurring in 2014 alone, a World Health Organisation (WHO) representative said.