To prevent birth defects health authorities should ensure all women and girls have access to vaccination throughout their lives as well as good quality antenatal care said a top World Health Organization (WHO) official on Tuesday. Across WHO's South-East Asia Region which includes India vaccine against rubella a disease that can cause several birth defects is now included in national immunisation programmes. Though all countries in the region provide routine rubella vaccination the average coverage is 83 per cent Poonam Khetrapal Singh WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia said in a statement. Achieving full coverage will have a substantial impact