The Foundation’s routine measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination program is now fully financed by the Georgian Ministry of Health (MOH).

• Routine vaccination program targeted all children aged 12 months to 6 years – approximately 50,000 children every year.

• The Foundation was a major partner in mass immunization campaign against measles/rubella. Approximately 450,000 individuals ages 6 – 27 years vaccinated.

• Both initiatives were part of strategy to eliminate measles/prevent congenital rubella syndrome in entire European region.

• In January 2010 the Georgian government assumed full responsibility for financing the routine vaccination program against MMR

In Georgia, the Foundation faced particularly negative public perceptions of vaccines and vaccination. Working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Foundation staff were able to successfully change the negative perception of parents and medical personnel concerning the immunization of children in general and the MMR vaccine in particular. This change in perception resulted in an unprecedented national coverage rate of 90% – significantly increased from the national averages of between 30-50% before the Foundation’s program began. Statistically, the Foundation’s MMR vaccination project was one of the most successful initiatives introduced into the Georgian public health sector in the last decade.

Mass Immunization Campaign

A mass immunization campaign against measles and took place in Georgia in the fall of 2008. Nearly 450,000 children were vaccinated as part of the campaign.

The mass immunization campaign and the routine vaccination program supported by the RVF were part of a national strategy to eliminate measles and rubella from Georgia by the year 2010, which in turn was part of the strategy developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate these diseases from the entire European region.