Rubella risk factors

Pregnancy
Pregnant women who get infected with rubella virus also expose their babies. This can cause serious birth defects such as heart problems, hearing and vision loss, intellectual disability, and liver or spleen damage. Serious birth defects are more common if a woman is infected early in her pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks. Getting rubella infection during pregnancy can also cause a miscarriage or premature delivery.

Pregnant women should not get rubella vaccine. They should wait to get vaccinated after they have given birth.

If you are planning to get pregnant, make sure you are protected from rubella beforehand. A blood test—an antibody titer—done by your doctor can tell you if you are already immune to rubella. If you are not immune, you should get vaccinated. Wait at least four weeks before getting pregnant.

Children should also be vaccinated on time to prevent rubella from spreading to pregnant women.