Rubella

Summary

Rubella is an infection caused by a virus. It is usually mild with fever and a rash. About half of the people who get rubella do not have symptoms. If you do get them, symptoms may include:

• A rash that starts on the face and spreads to the body
• Mild fever
• Aching joints, especially in young women
• Swollen glands

Rubella is most dangerous for a pregnant woman’s baby. It can cause miscarriage or birth defects.

Rubella spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People without symptoms can still spread it. There is no treatment, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• About Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Rubella World Health Organization
• Rubella (German Measles) Nemours Foundation
• Rubella: Questions and Answers Immunization Action Coalition

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Rubella National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• Congenital rubella Medical Encyclopedia
• MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Rubella Medical Encyclopedia

Related Issues

• Current Vaccine Shortages and Delays Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine Safety Information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Travelers’ Health: Rubella Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Women

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella and the MMR Vaccine during Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists

Journal Articles

• Rubella

Images

• Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles) Photos Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Rubella Vaccination Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Vaccine (Shot) for Rubella Centers for Disease Control and Prevention