Rubella (German Measles): Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

Home treatment for rubella includes getting plenty of rest and drinking extra fluids so you do not get dehydrated. Acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, may help relieve fever and body aches. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the possible link between aspirin and Reye syndrome.

You are at risk of getting rubella if you have not been immunized or have not had the illness. Try to avoid contact with people who have rubella.

Children, teens, and adults with rubella should not attend day care, school, or work or be around other people, especially pregnant women, for 7 days after the rash first appears.¹

Prevention

If your baby was born with rubella, take precautions to avoid exposing your baby to people who are not immune to the disease. In day care centers and at home, good hygiene and careful hand-washing are the most important control measures.

Extra care should be taken around pregnant women. Pregnant women working in child care facilities should minimize direct exposure to saliva and avoid kissing babies or young children on the mouth. An infant born with rubella can be contagious for as long as 1 year after birth.

An immunization to prevent rubella is available. It is given in combination with the measles and mumps vaccines in a single shot called MMR (What is a PDF document?) . Two doses of the vaccine are given at least 4 weeks apart. The first shot is given when a child is between 12 and 15 months old, and the second is given when a child is between 4 and 6 years of age or no later than age 11 to 12. Children ages 12 and younger can get immunized with MMRV instead of MMR. The MMRV shot includes the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine.

Teens and adults who should be given the MMR vaccine include:

• People who were born during or after 1957 who have not received the MMR vaccine.
• Health care workers.
• College students and international travelers who do not have proof of immunization or immunity.

If you are planning to become pregnant and are uncertain of your immunity to rubella, get a blood test to find out whether you are immune or not. In some states, a blood test is required for a marriage license to see whether the woman is immune to rubella. If she is not immune, she is advised to get the vaccine and wait at least 1 month before trying to conceive. If it so happens that you are immunized during early pregnancy before you know that you are pregnant, the risk to your fetus is very low. The important thing is to seek prenatal care.

Some parents are concerned that the MMR vaccine causes autism. Many studies have been done, and no link has been found between this vaccine and autism.³

For more information on the standard immunization schedule, see the topic Immunizations.

Last updated:	September 11, 2008
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC