Rubella

Rubella is a contagious disease caused by the rubella virus. Rubella is a notifiable disease. It is usually a mild acute viral disease accompanied by a low grade fever and a red rash usually starting on the face and progressing from head to foot. It may be fleeting but typically lasts about 3 days. It can be itchy. The rash is fainter than the measles rash and may be more obvious after a hot shower or bath. The most serious consequences of rubella infection occur when a pregnant woman is infected in the early stages of pregnancy. Damage to foetus is common in early pregnancy. The best protection against rubella is MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. 

At the meetings of WHO European Regional Verification Committee (RVC) for measles and rubella elimination, in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 the WHO European RVC concluded that Ireland provided evidence for the elimination of rubella.1,2,3,4,5


References

  1. WHO. Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC). Available at http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/measles-and-rubella/activities/regional-verification-commission-for-measles-and-rubella-elimination-rvc 
  2. WHO. 4th Meeting of the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC). Available at http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/304958/4th-RVC-meeting-report.pdf?ua=1
  3. WHO. 5th Meeting of the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC). Available at http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/330917/5th-RVC-meeting-report.pdf?ua=1
  4. WHO. 6th Meeting of the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC). Available at http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/348013/6th-RVC-final-for-web-posting.pdf?ua=1
  5. WHO. 7th Meeting of the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC). http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/measles-and-rubella/publications/2018/7th-meeting-of-the-european-regional-verification-commission-for-measles-and-rubella-elimination-rvc.-report 

Last updated: 13 August 2019