CDC Features

CDC Features

Rubella: Make Sure Your Child Is Fully Immunized

Rubella can cause serious health problems for children. The best way to protect them is to stop the spread of the disease. That means vaccinating young children with MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. Women who are susceptible to rubella and might become pregnant should also get vaccinated.

Photo: A girl with her pregnant mother Rubella is often called "German measles," but it is a different disease than measles and is caused by a different virus. Like measles, rubella causes a rash. The rubella rash is fainter than the measles rash and lasts 2–3 days. A person with rubella might also have a slight fever and feel general discomfort. However about 50% of people who have rubella do not have any symptoms.

However, rubella can be very dangerous for unborn babies. If a woman gets rubella during pregnancy, especially during the early stages of pregnancy, it can lead to premature delivery or fetal death. Getting rubella during pregnancy can also result in serious birth defects, such as deafness, cataracts, heart defects, mental retardation, or liver and spleen damage. An epidemic of rubella in the U.S. in 1964–65 led to an estimated 11,250 fetal deaths, 2,100 newborn deaths, 11,600 babies born deaf, 3,580 babies born blind, and 1,800 babies born mentally retarded.

The best way to protect unborn children from rubella is to stop the spread of the disease. Parents should make sure that their young children get vaccinated on time with the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. Susceptible adults (those who have never had rubella and who have never been vaccinated) should also get the vaccine. This is especially important for any woman who is susceptible to rubella and might become pregnant, unless a blood test shows she is immune to the disease.

After the rubella vaccine was licensed in 1969, the number of rubella cases in the U.S. declined rapidly. Today, because so many people are vaccinated, rubella is no longer endemic (i.e., constantly present) in this country, and cases of the disease are rare. However, rubella can be brought into the U.S. at any time by travelers from countries where the disease is still present or by unvaccinated U.S. residents traveling to these countries. Again, people in the U.S. who have not been infected with the rubella virus and who have not been vaccinated against the disease may be susceptible to infection.

MMR Vaccine: The Best Protection against Rubella

Photo: A young boy and girl The rubella vaccine is included in MMR, a combination vaccine that provides protection against three viral diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine is strongly endorsed by medical and public health experts as safe and effective. Two doses are recommended for children—the first dose at 12–15 months of age and the second dose before entering school, at 4–6 years of age. In addition, any woman who is susceptible to rubella and might become pregnant should be vaccinated, unless a blood test shows she is immune to the disease.

Is Your Child Due for MMR Vaccine?

Check your child's immunization record,
Contact his or her healthcare provider, or
Visit CDC's online immunization scheduler for children 6 years of age or younger.

Paying for the MMR Vaccine

Health insurance usually covers all or most of the cost of MMR vaccine. Children 18 years of age or younger may be eligible to get free vaccine through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. To find out more about the VFC program, contact your state VFC Coordinator. To learn more about the VFC program, visit the VFC Web site or ask your child's healthcare provider.

Some Adults Need MMR Vaccine!

Complications from rubella are not common, but they tend to occur more often in adults than children and may include encephalitis (brain infection), pain and/or swelling of the joints in women, and pain and or swelling of the testicles in men.

Anyone born during or after 1957 who has not had rubella or has not been vaccinated against the disease should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Any woman who is susceptible to rubella and might become pregnant should be vaccinated, unless a blood test shows she is immune to the disease.