Rubella is well controlled in Australia and is usually a mild disease. However, if an unborn baby is infected, it can cause serious birth defects or miscarriage.
Did you know?
- Rubella is generally a mild disease that causes a rash, swollen glands and joint pain.
- It can have serious consequences for unborn babies if a pregnant woman is infected, with about 9 out of 10 unborn babies exposed to rubella in the first trimester of pregnancy will often have multiple abnormalities.1
What is it?
Rubella, also known as German measles, is caused by the Rubivirus. The contagious virus generally causes mild disease, with about half of those infected showing few or no symptoms.1
However, if a pregnant woman becomes infected with rubella (especially during the first trimester), it can lead to serious abnormalities in the developing baby – such as deafness, blindness, heart defects, impaired growth and intellectual disabilities.
What are the symptoms?
Rubella is generally a mild disease and usually resolves naturally. Rubella symptoms, if they do appear, generally occur 2 to 3 weeks after infection and may include:
- mild fever
- swollen glands
- joint pain
- runny nose
- sore eyes
- a red rash lasting about 3 days which usually appears first on the face then spreads to the rest of the body.
Complications such as lingering joint pain, inflammation (swelling) of the middle ear or the brain or bleeding problems may occur, but are rare.
If an unborn baby is infected with rubella, particularly during the first trimester, they can develop serious birth defects. Rubella can also cause miscarriage.
This is not a full list of symptoms, that can occur following rubella infection. Please speak to a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about rubella infection.
Who is at risk?
Since the introduction of rubella vaccination in Australia, rubella is now rare. However, cases and outbreaks can still occur, therefore anyone who is not immune to rubella is at risk of infection, particularly:
- travellers to areas where rubella immunisation is not widespread
- childcare workers
- healthcare workers
- unborn babies whose mothers have low or no rubella immunity.
Other people may also be at risk of rubella infection. Please speak to a healthcare professional regarding your individual circumstances.
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PM-AU-AVX-WCNT-190047 Date of GSK Approval: January 2021