Rubella (German measles)

Rubella is a virus that spreads from person to person. It is also known as ‘German measles'. It is different from the measles virus. Many people with rubella have no symptoms, while others experience a mild illness with fever and a red rash.

Rubella can affect children and adults.

Rubella is usually mild and not dangerous. But if you catch it during pregnancy, it can cause serious birth problems for your baby.

Rubella is now rare in Australia, thanks to childhood vaccination programs. Outbreaks can still occur among people who are not immune. Rubella is common in other countries, so people may get it while travelling and bring rubella back into Australia.

Many people who catch rubella do not have any symptoms. People without symptoms can still spread the infection to others.

People with rubella who feel unwell usually notice symptoms about 2 to 3 weeks after contact with a person infected with the virus.

Symptoms are usually mild, and include:

• red rash — this usually starts on the face and then spreads to the body
• mild fever
• headache
• swollen glands
• runny nose
• joint pain
• red eyes

Rubella is caused by a virus from the genus Rubivirus.

How is rubella spread?

Rubella spreads through contact with fluids from an infected person. This may happen when they cough or sneeze nearby. Rubella can also spread through direct contact with an infected person.

If you are pregnant, you can spread rubella to your baby. Babies who become infected during pregnancy may also spread rubella up to one year after they are born. 

If you have rubella, it is important to stay home from childcare, school or work to stop spreading the infection to others. Rubella is contagious from about 1 week before the rash appears. People with rubella should stay away from childcare, school or work for at least 7 days after the rash first appears.

Read more on school exclusion periods.

Ask your doctor if you are unsure when it is safe for you or your child to return to work or school.

Who is at risk of catching rubella?

Anyone of any age can catch rubella if they are not immune. You are immune to rubella if you have caught it in the past or have had a course of rubella vaccinations. In Australia, people born before 1966 are generally considered to be immune, because it is likely that they caught rubella in childhood.

Some people are reinfected by rubella even if they have had it before or been vaccinated.

If you aren't immune to rubella, you are at a higher risk of catching it if you travel to places where rubella vaccination programs aren't widespread or work in a childcare or healthcare setting.

You should see your doctor if you think you or your child may have rubella. It is important to get a diagnosis from a doctor, as many other illnesses have symptoms similar to rubella.

If you have severe symptoms, see your doctor, as it may be a sign that you have an illness other than rubella that needs medical treatment.

Because rubella is contagious, you should call ahead before you visit your doctor, so that they can arrange for you to sit away from other patients in the clinic. You can also ask your doctor about a home visit or telehealth appointment, such as a phone or video call.

If you are pregnant and you think that you may have rubella (Opens in new tab) or may have had contact with an infected person, see your doctor or midwife urgently for advice.

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine your rash. They may also ask if you think you have had contact with anyone who has rubella and about your vaccination history.

If your doctor thinks you may have rubella, they will refer you for a blood test, throat swab or urine test to confirm the diagnosis. 

They may also refer you for other tests to rule out illnesses with similar symptoms.

Rubella is a notifiable disease. This means that a doctor who diagnoses rubella needs to report it to the local health authorities. It is important for local health authorities to know about cases of rubella in the community. This is so they can take steps to control an outbreak and protect people who may be at risk.

There is no specific medicine or treatment for rubella. Most people recover from rubella at home without medical treatment. Tips to help your recovery include:

• getting plenty of rest
• drinking lots of fluids
• taking paracetamol to relieve fever

If you feel like you are not getting better, speak with your doctor. Sometimes, there may be complications that need medical attention. Rarely, there may be serious complications that may need urgent medical attention and you may need treatment in hospital.

Antibiotics are not used to treat rubella.

Rubella does not usually cause complications, except in unborn babies. In rare situations, rubella may cause joint inflammation (arthritis), blood disorders (thrombocytopenia), or neurological (nerve) problems in adults. Even more rarely, rubella can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

If you have rubella and are experiencing severe symptoms, speak to your doctor.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent rubella.

Rubella is contagious, so to prevent the spread of the infection you should:

• isolate for at least 7 days after the rash starts
• inform people you have been in contact with
• cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
• wash your hands after touching your nose or mouth

What is the rubella vaccine?

There are 2 types of combination vaccines that include rubella. There is a combination vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) as well as a vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMR-V).

Both are effective. MMR-V has a slightly higher risk of fever and febrile seizures [GS5.1]compared to what is expected after MMR vaccine. Your doctor can advise which vaccine is right for you. The MMR-V vaccine is generally not recommended for people older than 14 years of age.

Is the rubella vaccine safe?

Rubella-containing vaccines are safe.

They are live vaccines, and as with all vaccines, the rubella vaccine can cause side effects, but most are not serious. These can include pain where the vaccine was injected, fever, rash or tiredness. 

MMR vaccination does not cause autism. Medical research has shown there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease.

Talk to your doctor if you are worried about any symptoms you are experiencing after the vaccine.

Who should get the rubella vaccine?

• Children aged 12 months and up should receive 2 doses of a rubella-containing vaccine. It is free on the National Immunisation Program Schedule at 12 months (MMR vaccine) and 18 months (MMR-V vaccine) of age.

• Anyone born during or after 1966 and has not had the rubella vaccine should be vaccinated. This is especially important if you are old enough to become pregnant or are planning a pregnancy.

• Anyone who works in childcare or healthcare should be vaccinated.

The rubella vaccine is not recommended if you are already pregnant or for some people with a weakened immune system. It is also not recommended for people who have experienced a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after previous doses of the rubella vaccine.

If you are not sure if you have had the rubella vaccine, or want to check if you have immunity, talk to your doctor about having a blood test.

For more information about immunisation in Australia, visit the Department of Health Immunisation website (Opens in new tab).

Find out where to get vaccinated against rubella at Getting vaccinated (Opens in new tab).

For more information about birth differences, visit the Australian Birth Defects Society (Opens in new tab).

The Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (Opens in new tab) website has videos and other tools to help you make decisions about immunisation and your family.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Find an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health service near you by using this map from the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (Opens in new tab).

Visit Vaccination for Our Mob for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Languages other than English

Find information about rubella vaccination (Opens in new tab) in many community languages.