Also called: German measles · Three day measles
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Rubella
Rubella is an infection caused by a virus. It is usually mild with fever and a rash. About half of the people who get rubella do not have symptoms. If you do get them, symptoms may include:
- A rash that starts on the face and spreads to the body
- Mild fever
- Aching joints, especially in young women
- Swollen glands
Rubella is most dangerous for a pregnant woman's baby. It can cause miscarriage or birth defects.
Rubella spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People without symptoms can still spread it. There is no treatment, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Children and Teenagers, Infections and Skin, Hair and Nails.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Rubella
121 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- A Study on the Immune Response and Safety of an Investigational Combined Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella Vaccine, When Administered as Intramuscular Injection to Healthy Children 15 Months to 6 Years of AgeGlaxoSmithKline
- A Study on the Immune Response and Safety of an Investigational Chickenpox Vaccine and a Marketed Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine When Administered as Intramuscular Injection to Healthy Children 12 to 15 Months of AgeGlaxoSmithKline
- Is a Third Dose of MMRV Vaccine Beneficial for the Adult Population in Alberta?University of Alberta
- Risk Assessment of Community Spread of Multiple Endemic Infectious Diseases in a One Health PerspectiveInstitut Pasteur du Cambodge
- the Five-year Antibody Persistence After Immunization With IPV, MMR and HepA-L VaccinesChina National Biotec Group Company Limited
- Safety and Efficacy of Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination in Pediatric Heart Transplantation PatientsChildren's Mercy Hospital Kansas City
Research already completed
- Search for the Measles Vaccine Virus Excretion in Breast Milk of Breastfeeding Women After Postpartum Vaccination With MMRAssistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
- Comparison Study of SIBP's MMR Vaccine Versus GSK MMR Vaccine in Children Aged 9-11 MonthsShanghai Institute Of Biological Products
- Study of a Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine When Administered Concomitantly With Routine Pediatric Vaccines in Healthy Toddlers and InfantsSanofi Pasteur, a Sanofi Company
- Immunogenicity of Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine Co-administered With Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine (MMR)Liaoning Chengda Biotechnology CO., LTD
- Measles-Rubella Vaccine Immunogenicity at 6 and 9 Months of AgeCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- A Study on the Immune Response and Safety of a Combined Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox Vaccine Compared to a Marketed Combined Vaccine, Given to Healthy Children 4 to 6 Years of AgeGlaxoSmithKline
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- RubellaWorld Health Organization
- Rubella (German Measles)Nemours Foundation
- Rubella: Questions and AnswersImmunization Action Coalition
Symptoms
- Rubella Symptoms and ComplicationsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Rubella VaccinationCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Related Issues
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine SafetyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: RubellaNational Institutes of Health
Patient Handouts
- MMR Vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella): What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- MMRV Vaccine (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella): What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Rubella. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Rubella, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.