Why CDC Is Involved with Global Rubella Vaccination

At a glance

Rubella is generally a mild disease, but infection in early pregnancy can cause serious birth defects, known as congenital rubella syndrome. Almost 25 million infants annually still do not have access to the vaccine.

A woman in the Philippines holds her child.

Health Impacts

Disabilities caused by rubella are entirely preventable.‎

Just one dose of a rubella vaccine can provide lifelong protection.

Rubella is generally a mild disease but can have serious consequences during pregnancy.

Women infected with rubella virus in early pregnancy have up to a 90% risk of giving birth to an infant with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). It can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth. More than 32,000 infants are born with CRS each year.

The lifelong complications and disabilities can have an immeasurable emotional, social, and financial cost for families.

Keep Reading: Pregnancy and Rubella

Ongoing challenge

Too many children are missing vaccines.

A woman in the Philippines holds her child.
A woman in the Philippines holds her child before she gets vaccines – including the vaccine for measles, rubella, and mumps. ©UNICEF/U.S.CDC/UN0723154/San Diego

Rubella vaccines are safe, cost-effective vaccines that have been used for over 50 years. One dose of rubella vaccine can provide lifelong protection against rubella. The combined measles-rubella vaccine protects against both rubella and measles, another highly contagious and dangerous respiratory disease.

However, almost 25 million infants1 annually still do not have access to rubella vaccines.

Actions

CDC works worldwide to eliminate rubella.‎

Eliminating rubella globally means that no child will be born with congenital rubella syndrome.

CDC works with partners worldwide to eliminate rubella, protecting children from this deadly and disabling disease.

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of children born with congenital rubella syndrome has decreased an estimated 66%2.

Rubella vaccination is almost always done with measles vaccination.‎‎

Most vaccines to prevent rubella are also given with a measles vaccine in a single shot. Learn about what CDC is doing to protect children from measles globally: Global Measles Vaccination