Rubella

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Antibodies

Rubella

Three day measles; German measles

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 - 15 months old, but is sometimes given earlier during epidemics. A second vaccination (booster) is routinely given to children ages 4 - 6. MMR is a combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.

Women of childbearing age usually 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.

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Those who should not get vaccinated include:

• Women who are pregnant
• Anyone whose immune system is affected by cancer, corticosteroid medications, or radiation treatment.

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.

Weisberg SS. Vaccine preventable diseases: current perspectives in historical context. Dis Mon. 2007;53:467-528.

2011 immunization schedules for children 0 to 18 years of age. ACIP meeting, October 28, 2010.

Recommended adult immunization schedule United States. 2011 Proposed Revisions. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. October 28, 2010.

Coonrod DV, Jack BW, Boggess KA. The clinical content of preconception care: immunizations as part of preconception care. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;199(6 Suppl 2):S290-S295.

Review Date: 01/24/2011
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).