Alberta Health Services
Health Information
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Rubella (sometimes called German measles) is a virus that spreads by coughing or sneezing and is different than measles. Rubella is usually mild. It can cause:
If you get rubella while you’re pregnant, it can cause loss of a baby during pregnancy (miscarriage or stillbirth) or the baby may be born with health problems.
Learn more about rubella.
Rubella spreads easily when someone with rubella coughs or sneezes or by direct contact with someone who has rubella. A person with rubella may spread the disease before they have symptoms.
If you have rubella, stay away from other people, especially those who are pregnant.
Some people may not have any symptoms. For others, symptoms can include:
The rash starts on the face and moves down the body from the head to the feet. The rash lasts about 3 days.
In rare cases, rubella can cause encephalitis (swelling of the brain) or bleeding disorder.
There are things you can do to relieve your symptoms at home.
The vaccine given most often to children to protect against rubella is called the MMR-Var vaccine. This vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox (varicella).
The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
If you are planning to get pregnant or could get pregnant, check with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re protected against rubella. Because the rubella vaccine is not given during pregnancy, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about whether you’re protected before you start trying to get pregnant.
Visit Ready or Not Alberta to learn more about immunization when planning a pregnancy.
