Rubella (German Measles) and Pregnancy

The Rubella virus causes a mild illness in pregnant mothers but could cause severe problems for a developing baby known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS).
An unborn child is most at risk of developing CRS if the mother is infected with Rubella in the first four months of pregnancy.
After the 20th week of conception complications from Rubella are rare.

A series of physical problems that can happen to an unborn child if the mother is infected with Rubella.
Infants with CRS may be born deaf or blind, may have damage to their hearts or mental disabilities.

CRS is rare in Ontario. Only 14 cases of CRS were reported to the Ministry of Health from 1990-2004, which is approximately one per year.

Schools are generally well protected because 95 per cent of students have been vaccinated against rubella.
Public health units are notified when someone is diagnosed with rubella. If that person is a student, all unimmunized students at the school are immediately sent home under the authority of the Immunization of School Pupils Act.
Once the unimmunized students are removed from school, it’s rare to see the virus spread since all remaining students would be immunized.

Call your doctor. Your doctor can check your immunity to Rubella with a simple blood test.
This may have already been done as part of your early pregnancy testing.

If you are of child-bearing age but not pregnant, have a blood test to ensure you are immune to Rubella.
If you are not immune, get your MMR vaccine and wait at least three months before becoming pregnant.