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Department of Health and Ageing Annual Report 2009-10

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PDF printable version of 2009-10 Annual Report - Full Report (PDF 5553 KB)



The cover features an image of rubella

Rubella, also known as German measles or bludgers pox, is an enveloped togavirus, genus Rubivirus, and was first described in the mid-eighteenth century. An Australian ophthalmologist, Norman Gregg, discovered the association between rubella infection in pregnancy and a pattern of congenital birth defects affecting the eyes, ears and heart.

The number of cases of congenital rubella syndrome in Australia has fallen rapidly since the introduction of a rubella vaccine forty years ago when mass vaccination of schoolgirls commenced in 1971.

In the early 1990s there were rubella epidemics throughout Australia with more than 5,000 notifications during 1995. The introduction of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1993-94 ensured that boys as well as girls received the vaccine. Successful vaccination campaigns and high vaccination coverage have ensured that rubella notifications continue to be low.

Between 1999 and 2009 there were 10 notifications of congenital rubella syndrome reported in Australia, with the last case reported in 2007. The continued occurrence of congenital rubella syndrome reminds us of the importance of immunisation. In Australia, 94 per cent of children aged two years were fully immunised against rubella. The National Immunisation Program provides MMR vaccine for children to protect against rubella, measles and mumps.

Contact us

If you would like to comment on this annual report, or have any queries, please contact the Editor at:

The Editor
2009-10 Annual Report
Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 51, GPO Box 9848
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA

Phone: +61 2 6289 7181
Fax: +61 2 6289 7177
Email: annrep@health.gov.au

Alternative formats

This annual report is available electronically on the Department of Health and Ageing website, at www.health.gov.au. This document is also available in other formats by contacting the Editor.

Acknowledgements

Coordinators: Roslyn Goddard, Jeff Street, Andrew Liszczynsky, Colin Vine, Natalia Krolikowski, Shareen Lata, Michelle Trainor, Paul Halloran, Sam Wells, Simone Zappe, Kerryn Burrell, Sam Dalgarno, Chan Yang and Joe Croke.

Business Group support: Stuart Finlayson, John Huard, Anne Porombka, Dianne Roberts, Dianna Kerr, Lucy Redman, Financial Reporting and Treasury Section, Management Accounting Section
and Publications Unit.

Thank you to all contributors and to coordination teams in the department’s divisions.

Design: CRE8IVE Australasia Pty. Limited
Printing: Union Offset Printers
Cover image: Russell Kightley

Copyright

ISSN 1447-8722
Online ISBN 978-1-74241-317-4

Publications Number: 6788

© Commonwealth of Australia 2010

This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction rights should be directed to the Communications Branch, Department of Health and Ageing via:

Email: copyright@health.gov.au
    Post:
    GPO Box 9848
    Canberra
    ACT 2601
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    Produced by the Portfolio Strategies Division, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
    URL: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/annrpt/publishing.nsf/Content/annual-report-0910-toc
    If you would like to know more or give us your comments contact: annrep@health.gov.au