INSIDECOSTARICA.COM
| COSTA
RICA NEWS | Friday
13 January 2012
Costa
Rica
Measles
And
Rubella
Free:
First
In
The
Americas
Costa
Rica
became
the
first
American
country
to
eradicate
measles
and
rubella,
with
the
last
case
of
measles
reported
in
1999
and
rubella
in
2001.
That
means
the
country
has
been
free
of
the
diseases
for
over
ten
years.
As a
result,
health
authorities
will
seek
the
Pan
American
Health
Organization
and
World
Health
Organization
certify
Costa
Rica
on
this
historic
achievement.
"We
want
to
be
evaluated
and
stating
that
Costa
Rica
is
the
first
country
in
America
to
eradicate
measles
and
rubella,
this
would
be a
success
because
from
the
standpoint
of
public
health
would
be
an
example
for
the
rest
of
the
world,"
said
Deputy
Health
minister,
Adolfo
Ortiz.
The
picture
is
very
different,
for
example,
in
European
countries
where
thousands
of
cases
are
reported
and
resulting
deaths.
Both
measles
and
rubella
cause
malformations
in
the
case
of
children,
pneumonia
can
end
their
lives.
Indeed,
health
authorities
are
concerned
about
an
outbreak
in
Ecuador,
where
more
than
a
100
cases
reported,
affecting
a
population
that
does
have
not
adequate
vaccination
coverage.
Health
authorities
will
be
seeking
certification
in
this
month.
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