Two common childhood illnesses, mumps and rubella, have been marked for eradication worldwide.
The International Task Force for Disease Eradication said it had added the uwo iilnessses to a short list of diseases that could be eliminated through vaccination or better sanitation.
The only other diseases on the list are polio and guinea worm a parasitic diseasc common in developing countries of Africa and Asia.
The task force said mumps and rubella could be eliminated with widespread use of the currently available combination vaccine for mumps. measles and rubella.
Rubella, also known as German measles, is much milder than measles.
Dr Don Hopkins, director of the task force. said measles. considered one of the deadliest illnesses, was not added to the list because it was not practical to consider its elimination.
"The real distinction between measles and other diseases, the factor that makes it so tough to eliminate, is that measles is much more infectious than other diseases," Hopkins said.
"Before there was a measles vaccine. virtually everybody in the world except those living on islands. got measles. And for people in preindustrial societies, it was very often fatal." Hopkins said - Reuter