The Facts
Rubella, also known as German measles or "three-day measles,"
is a contagious viral infection that brings on a rash. Older books and articles
called it "third disease." It's milder than measles and doesn't last
as long. Rubella is a significant health risk for pregnant women. If a pregnant
woman is infected with rubella, especially in the first trimester (three months),
the fetus may miscarry or suffer birth defects.
After a bout with rubella, a person has lifelong immunity. The disease
used to be common, with epidemics sweeping across North America every five to
nine years. Major epidemics occurred at a frequency of every 30 years, with
the last one recorded in 1964 affecting over 12 million people in the USA. The
virus was first isolated in the laboratory in 1962 and a vaccine was made available
in 1969. Since then, the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has cut
the frequency of the disease dramatically.