newborns: congenital rubella syndrome. During the years of the nationwide program from 2004 – 2008, the RVF has been providing for the annual immunization of all children in Azerbaijan aged 1 and 6 years against MMR. A total of 1,1 mln children had been vaccinated by October 2008. Vaccine coverage rates now approach the internationally accepted target of 95% in all districts of the country

Below is a vaccination chart that provides detailed information on vaccination progress including size and age of cohorts and accomplishments to date.

The RVF has been able to secure additional funding from USDA to nurture the MMR program through the years to full sustainability in 2009. A total of 1.3 million children will have been vaccinated under the RVF program by end December 2008 when the MOH will assume full responsibility for financing the program.

The introduction by the RVF of the triple vaccine against MMR was expressly requested by Azeri health officials as the most effective next step in modernizing preventive health care for children in the country. Thus, the MMR vaccine was included in the National Immunization Calendar of Azerbaijan in 2003 and is now administered as part of the routine immunization of children in the country. The RVF program is the cornerstone to achieving the stated goal of the MOH to eliminate measles from the Republic by 2010 and is in keeping with the stated goal of the WHO to eliminate measles and reduce the incidence rate of congenital rubella syndrome to fewer than one case per 100,000 live born babies in the European region by 2010.

A defining characteristic of the RVF Children's Vaccination Initiative in Azerbaijan is the strengthening of the existing health care infrastructure with the goal of achieving self-sustainability after the RVF program has come to an end. Therefore, Azeri health care workers are fully responsible for carrying out the program, including the administration of the vaccine, thereby avoiding the creation of parallel healthcare structures

In addition to fulfilling its commitment to supply the country with WHO prequalified vaccines, the RVF is upgrading the existing vaccine delivery infrastructure and providing safe injection supplies in accordance with the recommendations of the WHO. To date the deliveries to vaccination sites have been made on a timely basis. In addition to the supply of MMR vaccine and safe injection supplies, the RVF has provided the country with over 500 refrigerators with generators and voltage regulators, 336 vaccine carriers, 3 compressors for the central vaccine storage facility in Baku, and a refrigerated truck for the distribution of vaccine from the central storage in Baku to the rest of the country. As part of the program the RVF supports ongoing vaccine-related training and educational programs for health care workers throughout the country. The RVF has put in place an internal monitoring system in Azerbaijan, which consists of monthly vaccination reports from each region, verification of individual vaccination records and proper cold chain maintenance through regular inspection trips, and annual epidemiologic reports of disease incidence rates. Azeri health specialists, together with RVF representatives, regularly visit vaccination sites, including refugee camps, to monitor the vaccination process and engage local healthcare workers, the children and their parents in discussions about the vaccination program.

In March 2006 the RVF, in cooperation with WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan, launched a mass immunization campaign against measles and rubella (MR) in Azerbaijan. By the end of the campaign in December 2006 nearly 2.5 million children and young adults had been vaccinated against MR, thereby greatly accelerating the elimination of measles and prevention of congenital rubella syndrome in the country. The routine vaccination of children against MMR is continuing with the support of both the RVF and the Azerbaijani MOH to ensure that the country remains free of measles and rubella. By 2009 the program will be financed 100% by the MOH.

Mass immunization campaigns against measles and rubella took place in Armenia in October 2007 and will be conducted in Georgia (fall of 2008).