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National Verification Committee for Measles and Rubella elimination in Germany

Member States of the WHO European Region share the goal of eliminating endemic transmission of measles and rubella viruses, which will also result in the elimination of congenital rubella syndrome. The German Action Plan for the Elimination of Measles and Rubella 2015–2020, which was released by the federal states and the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) in 2015, stipulates targets to attain these elimination goals.

According to the WHO European Region guidance a National Verification Committee (NVC) should be established in every country to conduct annual reviews of progress towards or achievement or maintenance of elimination in a standardized way and provide the necessary documentation in support of their conclusion.

In December 2012, the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) established the German NVC for measles and rubella elimination. The committee consists of honorary, independent experts from the fields of applied infectious disease epidemiology and public health sciences, general medicine and virology. Additionally, representatives of BMG, the Robert Koch Institute, the Federal Centre for Health Education and a deputy of the supreme state health authorities participate regularly as permanent guests at the meetings. The executive secretariat of the NVC is hosted by the Immunisation unit of the Robert Koch Institute. The secretariat is responsible for organizational matters and the scientific prearrangement of the meetings as well as for the maintenance of a database with relevant indicators and the preparation of a draft annual report to be submitted to WHO.

The committee meets regularly once a year to analyze and discuss data concerning the epidemiology of measles and rubella in Germany and data on vaccination coverage and the immunity of the German population against measles and rubella. The aim is to assess the progress achieved with regard to elimination goals. Furthermore, the committee evaluates if the available data are sufficient or contain inconsistencies, assesses the quality of surveillance, evaluates the success of implemented key strategies, and advises on activities related to the verification of the elimination process in the country. In 2020, Germany received the rubella elimination status by the WHO European Region.

Every year, the scientific reports are sent to WHO and BMG. They are available on the committee’s website.

Date: 21.02.2024