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Rubella immunity should be determined for ALL women of childbearing age, regardless of birth year. If there is no evidence of immunity, women who are not pregnant should be vaccinated. Pregnant women who do not have evidence of immunity should receive MMR vaccination as soon as possible after they have their baby.
What is rubella?
Rubella, sometimes called German measles or three-day measles, is a contagious disease caused by a virus. The infection is usually mild with fever and rash. Rubella is spread by contact with an infected person, through coughing and sneezing. Rubella vaccine (contained in MMR vaccine) can prevent this disease.
• For unvaccinated health care personnel born before 1957 who lack laboratory evidence of measles, mumps, and/or rubella immunity or laboratory confirmation of disease, health care facilities should consider vaccinating personnel with 2 doses of MMR vaccine at the appropriate interval for measles and mumps or 1 dose of MMR vaccine for rubella.
What are the symptoms of rubella?
In children, rubella usually starts a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body along with fever (less than 101 degrees). Symptoms last 2 or 3 days.
Older children and adults may also have swollen glands and symptoms like a cold before the rash appears. Aching joints occur in many cases, especially among young women. About half of the people who get rubella do not have symptoms.
Rubella can have serious consequences:
Babies whose mothers get rubella while pregnant can have severe birth defects including deafness, cataracts, heart defects, mental retardation, as well as liver and spleen damage. If a pregnant mom is infected early in pregnancy, there is at least a 20% chance that the baby will have problems.
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