Enhanced surveillance for congenital rubella syndrome following mass rubella vaccination of girls and reproductive-aged women.

Chile was the first country in the Americas to conduct surveillance for congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) as part of screening for common causes of congenital birth defects (referred to as TORCH pathogens). The surveillance system identified 15 CRS cases in 1999 and 2 cases in 2000, and it has identified no CRS cases since 2000. CRS surveillance in Chile meets recommended surveillance standards and may serve as a model for CRS surveillance in other countries.