In addition to measles and mumps, the MMR vaccine contains another viral infection, rubella. Rubella can trace its roots back as far as 1814 when it was documented by physician George Maton. It was given its name by Henry Veale in 1866, and attracted little attention until 1942 when it was first noted to have caused serious birth defects (Cooper, 1985). Rubella, like the measles, is known for its distinctive rash and is also known as the German measles because of the similarities between the two, though the Mayo Clinic reports that rubella is usually less severe and infectious than mumps, and credit high vaccination rates for the elimination of rubella from the United States (2015c). The WHO reported only 5 cases of rubella in the entire United States in 2015 (2017b).
The incubation period for rubella can range from 12 to 23 days and the symptoms are generally mild if they are noticeable, as up to 50% of cases may have no noticeable symptoms. The rash is noted to occur 14 to 17 days after exposure to the virus and usually appears on the face and then follows a …show more content…
L. Z. Cooper listed “neonatal thrombocytopenic purpura, hepatitis, bone lesions, and meningoencephalitis and late emerging sequelae such as diabetes mellitus and progressive rubella panencephalitis, added to the cataract, heart disease, mental retardation and deafness” as possible side effects of CRI (Cooper, 1985). And although pockets of the virus have emerged over time, rubella joins measles and mumps in the possibility for total eradication, because humans are the only known reservoir (CDC, 2015b, p. 3.8). The Mayo Clinic states that “no treatment will shorten the course of rubella infection” but there are options to assist fighting the infection if you contract rubella while pregnant (Mayo,
The incubation period for rubella can range from 12 to 23 days and the symptoms are generally mild if they are noticeable, as up to 50% of cases may have no noticeable symptoms. The rash is noted to occur 14 to 17 days after exposure to the virus and usually appears on the face and then follows a …show more content…
L. Z. Cooper listed “neonatal thrombocytopenic purpura, hepatitis, bone lesions, and meningoencephalitis and late emerging sequelae such as diabetes mellitus and progressive rubella panencephalitis, added to the cataract, heart disease, mental retardation and deafness” as possible side effects of CRI (Cooper, 1985). And although pockets of the virus have emerged over time, rubella joins measles and mumps in the possibility for total eradication, because humans are the only known reservoir (CDC, 2015b, p. 3.8). The Mayo Clinic states that “no treatment will shorten the course of rubella infection” but there are options to assist fighting the infection if you contract rubella while pregnant (Mayo,