Rubella screening to end in England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35419445

Version 0 of 1.

Pregnant women will no longer have rubella screening in England, officials have announced.

Public Health England said the success of MMR vaccination meant the infection was now incredibly rare and the screening was causing unnecessary stress.

Infection during pregnancy can lead to brain damage and other health problems for the baby in the womb.

The rest of the UK is also considering the measure.

The viral infection - also known as German measles - is mild, causing a rash and fever.

But it becomes very serious in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, when it can lead to sight and hearing problems, brain damage and heart defects.

Screening

Pregnant women are offered a blood test to determine whether they are immune to the virus.

The UK's National Screening Committee recommended in 2012 that rubella screening should stop because levels of the virus were so low that the World Health Organization classed rubella as eliminated in the UK.

Screening will stop in England in April.

Public Health England (PHE) said high uptake of the MMR jab - which protects against measles, mumps and rubella - was allowing it to make the decision.

Dr Anne Mackie, the director of screening programmes at PHE, said: "The decision to end rubella susceptibility screening in pregnancy in England is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence and expert clinical advice.

"Screening for rubella in pregnancy does not give any protection to the unborn baby in that pregnancy.

"The best preventative measure a woman can take to protect herself from rubella is to ensure she is immunised with the MMR vaccine before she gets pregnant."

The charity Sense, set up by parents affected by rubella, welcomed the news.

Joff McGill, from the charity, said: "It is a cause for celebration that in the UK there is no endemic rubella and congenital rubella syndrome births are now rare thanks to the childhood immunisation programme and high levels of MMR uptake.

"Stopping rubella screening in pregnancy will not lead to an increase in cases of congenital rubella syndrome.

"The only way that will happen is if there are significant rubella outbreaks, and we can ensure that doesn't happen by continued high levels of uptake of MMR."