Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It is also known as German measles or three-day measles, although it is not related to measles. Although it is usually a mild illness that gets better within a week, it can be dangerous for pregnant women and there are thought to be about 100,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome every year. Rubella is easily spread through coughs and sneezes.
Rubella is preventable through vaccination. The MMR vaccine is given to children in the UK in two doses and can give lifelong protection against all three diseases. A single dose of the rubella vaccine provides more than 95 per cent long-lasting immunity.
The main symptom of rubella is a spotty rash. The rash typically starts on the face or behind the ears, and then spreads to the neck and body. It can be red or pink on white skin and may be more difficult to see on brown or black skin, although it might feel rough or bumpy. The rash usually appears two to three weeks after getting infected. However, in up to 50 per cent cases there is no rash.
Other symptoms of rubella can include:
Rubella can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women. If a pregnant woman contracts rubella, it can lead to miscarriage or birth defects in the baby, known as congenital rubella syndrome. There are an estimated 100,000 cases of this every year. Problems can include issues with the baby’s sight, hearing, hear, or brain. The risk is highest if the woman contracts rubella early in the pregnancy. Before the introduction of the rubella vaccine, an estimated four babies in every 1,000 globally were born with the condition.
Rubella is spread through coughs and sneezes and is most prevalent during winter and early spring. To avoid spreading the disease, infected people should stay off nursery, school, or work for seven days after the rash appears.
There is no specific treatment for rubella. The illness usually gets better in about a week with rest and plenty of fluids. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can be taken to relieve discomfort, but aspirin should not be given to children under 16. The NHS recommends you should call your GP for advice rather than going to the surgery and spreading the disease to others.
The MMR vaccine is highly effective and provides lifelong protection against measles, mumps, and rubella. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended. Women who plan to become pregnant but do not have sufficient levels of antibodies to the virus can get a rubella-containing vaccine 28 days before conception.
Rubella was first described in 1740 by German physician and chemist Friedrich Hoffman as causing distinctive reddish-pink marks. It was given the name German measles, and also known as ‘Röteln’ which means “reddish” or “pink” in German. However, rubella and measles are not related. In 1866, Henry Veale, an English Royal Artillery surgeon, coined the name “rubella” (from the Latin word meaning “little red”) when he described an outbreak in India.
The rubella virus was isolated in 1962 and work on a vaccine began in earnest after the last major rubella epidemic in the United States from 1964 to 1965, when an estimated 12.5 million people got the disease, 11,000 pregnant women lost their babies, 2,100 newborns died, and 20,000 babies were born with congenital rubella syndrome.
The first vaccines were introduced in 1969 and in 1970 in the UK a vaccination programme for girls was introduced. The first combined MMR vaccine was introduced in the UK in 1988.
Reported rubella cases have plummeted since more countries introduced vaccine programmes from 670,894 cases in 102 countries in 2000 to 17,865 cases in 78 countries in 2022.
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