Rubella, also known as the German measles, is an infection in which there is a rash on the skin.
Congenital rubella is when a pregnant woman with rubella passes it to the baby that is still in her womb.
Three day measles; German measles
Rubella is caused by a virus that is spread through the air or by close contact.
A person with rubella may spread the disease to others from 1 week before the rash begins, until 1 to 2 weeks after the rash disappears.
Because the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is given to most children, rubella is much less common now. Almost everyone who receives the vaccine has immunity to rubella. Immunity means that your body has built a defense to the rubella virus.
In some adults, the vaccine may wear off. This means they are not fully protected. Women who may become pregnant and other adults may receive a booster shot.
Children and adults who were never vaccinated against rubella may still get this infection.
Children generally have few symptoms. Adults may have a fever, headache, general discomfort (malaise), and a runny nose before the rash appears. They may not notice the symptoms.
Other symptoms may include:
There is no treatment for this disease.
Taking acetaminophen can help reduce fever.
Defects that occur with congenital rubella syndrome can be treated.
Annette Mankertz practices in Berlin, Germany. Mankertz is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Rubella. She is also highly rated in 6 other conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Rubella, Mumps, Parainfluenza, and Togaviridae Disease.
Gregory Poland is an Internal Medicine expert in Rochester, Minnesota. Poland has been practicing medicine for over 43 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Rubella. He is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Rubella, Smallpox, Measles, and Togaviridae Disease. Poland is currently accepting new patients.
William Moss is a Pediatrics expert in Baltimore, Maryland. Moss is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Rubella. He is also highly rated in 2 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Measles, Rubella, Childhood Iron Deficiency Anemia, and Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis.
Rubella is most often a mild infection.
After an infection, people have immunity to the disease for the rest of their lives.
Complications can occur in the unborn baby if the mother becomes infected during pregnancy. A miscarriage or stillbirth may occur. The child may be born with birth defects.
Call your health care provider if:
There is a safe and effective vaccine to prevent rubella. The rubella vaccine is recommended for all children. It is routinely given when children are 12 to 15 months old, but is sometimes given earlier during epidemics. A second vaccination (booster) is routinely given to children ages 4 to 6. MMR is a combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
Women of childbearing age most often have a blood test to see if they have immunity to rubella. If they are not immune, women should avoid getting pregnant for 28 days after receiving the vaccine.
Those who should not get vaccinated include:
Great care is taken not to give the vaccine to a woman who is already pregnant. However, in the rare instances when pregnant women have been vaccinated, no problems have been detected in the infants.
Summary: The main purpose of this study is to assess immune response and safety of various potencies of a measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRVNS) vaccines given to healthy children of 4 to 6 years of age.
Summary: This will be a Phase III, modified double-blind (open-label for toddlers in India), randomized, parallel-group, active-controlled, step-wise, multi-center study to compare and describe the immunogenicity and safety of MenACYW conjugate vaccine when administered as a single dose in healthy adults, adolescents, children, and toddlers in India and a modified double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, ...
Published Date: February 02, 2021
Published By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Mason WH, Gans HA. Rubella. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 274.
Michaels MG, Williams JV. Infectious diseases. In: Zitelli, BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 13.
Wodi AP, Ault K, Hunter P, McNally V, Szilagyi PG, Bernstein H. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger - United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(6):189-192. PMID: 33571172 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33571172/.