What happens if you get rubella

Minus Related Pages. March of Dimes — Rubella and Pregnancy external icon. Related Link. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.

CDC is not responsible for Section compliance accessibility on other federal or private website. Cancel Continue. Babies born with congenital rubella syndrome are at risk for serious problems with their growth, thinking, heart and eyes, hearing, and liver, spleen , and bone marrow.

They also can shed the virus in their urine pee and fluid from their nose and throat for a year or more, so can pass the virus to people who aren't immunized against it.

The rubella vaccine protects people from the disease. Widespread immunization is the key to preventing the spread of the virus and protecting babies from the serious health problems of congenital rubella syndrome. Most rubella infections today are in young, non-immunized adults rather than in kids. Children usually get the vaccine at 12—15 months of age as part of the scheduled measles- mumps -rubella MMR immunization or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine MMRV.

Most get a second dose at 4—6 years of age. As with all immunization schedules, there are important exceptions and special circumstances. For example, a child who will travel outside the United States can get the vaccine as early as 6 months of age. Talk to your doctor to see when your child should get the vaccine. The rubella vaccine should not be given to pregnant women or to a woman who plans to become pregnant within 1 month of getting it. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, make sure that you're immune to rubella through a blood test or proof of immunization.

If you're not immune, get the vaccine at least 1 month before you become pregnant. Pregnant women who are not immune should avoid anyone who has the illness, then get the vaccine after their baby is born so they'll be immune during any future pregnancies. Antibiotics can't treat rubella because they only work against bacteria, not viruses. Unless it causes other problems, rubella will get better on its own. Rubella usually is mild in kids, who often can be cared for at home.

Signs and symptoms generally appear between two and three weeks after exposure to the virus. They usually last about one to five days and may include:.

Contact your doctor if you think you or your child may have been exposed to rubella or if you have the signs or symptoms listed above. If you're considering getting pregnant, check your vaccination record to make sure you've received your MMR vaccine.

If you're pregnant and you develop rubella, especially during your first trimester, the virus can cause death or serious birth defects in the developing fetus.

Rubella during pregnancy is the most common cause of congenital deafness. It's best to be protected against rubella before pregnancy. If you're pregnant, you'll likely undergo a routine screening for immunity to rubella. But if you've never received the vaccine and you think you might have been exposed to rubella, contact your doctor immediately. A blood test might confirm that you're already immune. Rubella is caused by a virus that's passed from person to person. It can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It can also spread by direct contact with an infected person's respiratory secretions, such as mucus. It can also be passed on from pregnant women to their unborn children via the bloodstream. A person who has been infected with the virus that causes rubella is contagious for one to two weeks before the onset of the rash until about one or two weeks after the rash disappears.

An infected person can spread the illness before the person realizes he or she has it. Rubella is rare in many countries because most children receive a vaccination against the infection at an early age. In some parts of the world, the virus is still active. This is something to consider before going abroad, especially if you're pregnant. Rubella is a mild infection. Once you've had the disease, you're usually permanently immune.

Some women who have had rubella experience arthritis in the fingers, wrists and knees, which generally lasts for about one month. In rare cases, rubella can cause an ear infection or inflammation of the brain. However, if you're pregnant when you contract rubella, the consequences for your unborn child may be severe, and in some cases, fatal.

This syndrome can cause one or more problems, including:. The highest risk to the fetus is during the first trimester, but exposure later in pregnancy also is dangerous. The rubella vaccine is usually given as a combined measles-mumps-rubella MMR vaccine.