Rubella

                (German Measles)

I had rubella as a child.  Am I immune?

Rubella is difficult to diagnose and it could have been something else.  Only a blood test can tell you whether you have immunity to rubella.

I have been immunised - how do I know I’m still protected?

The rubella immunisation is one of the most effective immunisations we have.  It has been in use for around 20 years, and most of the people immunised when it was first introduced are still protected.  However, no immunisation can protect everybody.  It is known that in about 5% of cases the immunisation doesn’t ‘take’ the first time, either because your body hasn’t produced sufficient protection or ‘antibody’, or because the vaccine itself has been incorrectly handled or stored.  In most cases, the second immunisation usually works.

For all these reasons, before you get pregnant, it’s important to check - by a simple blood test - that you are immune to rubella.

I had a blood test for rubella in my last pregnancy and they said then I was immune.  Will I still be protected in my next pregnancy?

Almost certainly yes.  But the only way to be really sure is to ask your doctor to check your immunity to rubella before you get pregnant again.

I thought I was immune, but they have just tested my blood and now they say I’m not.  Why?

The reason for doing a blood test is to be able to determine if you are at risk of catching rubella so that you can be immunised.  What is being measured is whether you have enough protection (antibody) against rubella.

In most cases this is simple to determine, but some women who have low levels of antibody may appear to need immunisation.  This is probably why you have had two different results.

The other possibilities are:
a)      Somebody made a mistake in reporting either the first or second result;
b)     You thought you had rubella in the past, but did not;
c)      You though you had the rubella vaccine, but is was a vaccine against something else;
d)     You had the vaccine but unfortunately you were one of the 1 in 20 women for whom the first immunisation did not work;
e)      You are one of the very, very few in whom the level of antibodies seems to have dropped right down to nothing.

All the other possibilities are much more likely than the last.  It is very unlikely that you immunity has simple ‘worn off’ - although this has happened in a handful of cases, it is very rare - and research is going on to find out what causes it.

Questions Pregnant Women Ask

I’m pregnant and my friend/child has rubella, or something like it.  What shall I do?

You need to see your GP or a doctor at the ante-natal clinic as soon as possible.  Even if you have been immunised, or have been told you have immunity to rubella, it is still very important to have the tests which are available.  Your doctor can arrange a series of blood tests over two or three weeks, and will then be able to advise you properly.

I’m pregnant and I have got a rash.  What shall I do?

A rash does not always mean you have rubella - for example, it can be caused by an allergy.  The only way to tell if you have rubella is to have a blood test, so you should go and see you doctor or clinic as soon as possible, and ask them to arrange this.

If you are pregnant, and you think you have rubella - or you have been near someone who has it, you should have a blood test.  You should do this even if you - or your doctor - believe that you are already immune to rubella.

I have just been immunised against rubella and now I find I was pregnant at the time - will my baby be damaged?

Women are recommended not to get pregnant for 1 month after immunisation.  However, sometimes a women does not realise she is pregnant, or becomes pregnant accidentally soon after the immunisation.  If this happens to you, you must talk it over with your doctor.

Studies of several hundred mothers who continued their pregnancies after accidental immunisation at this time have shown that none of their babies suffered rubella damage as a result.

Can you catch rubella more than once?
Can someone who is known to be immune catch rubella?

Both of these situations are very unusual.  However, the possibility of getting the infection more than once is one of the reasons why it is so important to be checked out if you have symptoms, or are in contact with rubella when you are pregnant.

To make this happen, we need to break the chain of rubella infection.  Most pregnant women who catch rubella get it from young children.  Because there is still a lot of rubella around, it’s important that immunisation continues - for children, teenage girls and women.

Protecting Children

A combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is now given to pre-school children -boys as well as girls.  This means there will be far fewer young children with rubella - and less likelihood of pregnant women coming into contact with the virus.

Protecting Teenage Girls

Because teenage girls have not been immunised in childhood, for some time to come it will still be necessary for them to be immunised to protect them when they become pregnant.  By the time the young children who are now being immunised with MMR reach  their teenage years, it should be clear whether or not it will be safe to stop the immunisation of teenage girls.

Protecting Women

Make sure you’re protected against rubella before you get pregnant.

ALL JAMAATS - BEWARE
RUBELLA VACCINATION IS A MUST OTHERWISE OUR CHILDREN WILL SUFFER AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY.

If you wish to know more about Rubella or want any of the following free leaflets, please contact the Medical Advisory Board secretariat in Birmingham.

1)       She Suffered from Rubella for Three Days - Her Baby may Suffer for Life.
2)       Pre-Conception Care  -  Getting fit before you get Pregnant.
3)       A Guide to Childhood Immunisation.
4)       A Second dose of Measles, Mumps & Rubella Vaccine - Better protection for your child.
5)       National Rubella Council  -  “Go for it” - Information Pack.
6)       MMR  -  The Facts

Videos available on loan:-

1)       Rubella  -  Hands Up For Immunisation!
2)       Rubella  -  Hindi/English
3)       Rubella  -  Go For It