Rubella has been eradicated in the Americas. However, an unvaccinated person can still catch this disease on another continent and spread the virus.
Thanks to vaccination campaigns, rubella has been all but eradicated. In fact, according to the Pan American Health Organization, rubella has been considered eliminated from the Americas since 2015. However, it’s still possible to catch the disease in other parts of the world, and travellers visiting countries outside the Americas occasionally become infected with the virus. They can then spread the disease to unvaccinated individuals when they return home.
What is rubella?
Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. There is no specific treatment for this virus.
Symptoms of rubella often go unnoticed in young children.
The infected person develops a spotty, slightly raised pink or red rash on their face and torso. The rash is generally accompanied by a fever that lasts 2 or 3 days. The lymph nodes in the neck become swollen. Some people may also develop conjunctivitis. Unlike the measles, rubella typically causes only mild symptoms.
Although much less contagious than the measles virus, rubella can be spread by microscopic droplets several days before and after the appearance of the rash.
Rubella is not considered a serious disease, except in pregnant women. If an unvaccinated pregnant woman contracts rubella, complications are possible and vary according to the stage of pregnancy.
Notably, the fetus could become infected (in 90 percent of cases) and suffer from congenital rubella syndrome. If this happens, the baby may be born blind or deaf, suffer from heart defects, or develop an intellectual disability. The risk is particularly high if the infection occurs in the first months of pregnancy. Transmission of rubella to the fetus may also cause a miscarriage or fetal death.
Prevention
The Quebec vaccination schedule calls for two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, one at 12 months and one at 18 months. The vaccine has proven highly effective at preventing rubella, and appears to be effective over the very long term.
Rubella and pregnancyPublic health authorities recommend that all women of childbearing age ensure they are immunized against the rubella virus before becoming pregnant. If a woman is unsure of her vaccination status, she’ll need a blood test to find out if she’s protected against the disease. If the blood test indicates that she is not immune, she should immediately receive the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. Ideally, this vaccine should be given at least 4 weeks before becoming pregnant. It is not possible to administer the vaccine during pregnancy, as there is a theoretical risk of transmitting the virus from the vaccine to the fetus. The vaccine should be offered after delivery to ensure mother and baby are protected during future pregnancies. If a pregnant woman is not immune to rubella and is exposed to an infected person, she should promptly consult her doctor, who will provide her with specialized care. |
| Scientific review:Dr. Isabelle Viel-Thériault, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at CHU de Québec – Université Laval
Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team
Updated: December 2024
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Photo: GettyImages/_jure
Sources and references
Note: The links to other websites are not updated regularly, and some URLs may have changed since publication. If a link is no longer active, please use search engines to find the relevant information.
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Doré, Nicole, and Danielle Le Hénaff. From Tiny Tot to Toddler: A practical guide for parents from pregnancy to age two. Quebec City, Institut national de santé publique du Québec. inspq.qc.ca
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Gouvernement du Québec. “Rubella.” Gouvernement du Québec. 2019. quebec.ca
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Gouvernement du Québec. “Quebec Immunization Program.” Gouvernement du Québec. 2024. quebec.ca
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Nemours KidsHealth. “Rubella (German measles).” KidsHealth. 2021. kidshealth.org
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Mangtani, Punam, et al. “Safety profile of rubella vaccine administered to pregnant women: A systematic review of pregnancy related adverse events following immunisation, including congenital rubella syndrome and congenital rubella infection in the foetus or infant.” Vaccine, vol. 38, no. 5, 2020, pp. 963–978. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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Mayo Clinic. “Rubella.” Mayo Clinic. 2022. mayoclinic.org
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Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. “Protocole d’immunisation du Québec (PIQ).” Gouvernement du Québec. 2024. mfa.gouv.qc.ca
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Canadian Paediatric Society. “MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) vaccine.” Caring for Kids. 2021. caringforkids.cps.ca
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Canadian Paediatric Society. “Rubella (German measles) in pregnancy.” Caring for Kids. 2021. caringforkids.cps.ca
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Pan American Health Organization. Elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in the Americas. 2015. paho.org
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