Rubella in pregnancy guidelines

Anyone who is not vaccinated against rubella is at risk of getting the disease. Although rubella was declared eliminated from the U. Even if you have been in contact with someone infected then contact your doctor right away. This virus causes a self-limited infection in most hosts, but can have potentially devastating effects on the developing fetus.

Your blood is tested to check whether you have had a past infection with rubella or if you have been vaccinated against this disease.

However, if contracted during the first trimester, it can affect the pregnancy and lead to congenital rubella syndrome at birth. Preventing congenital infection relies on maintaining high levels of immunity to rubella in the general population. The disease has few complications unless it is contracted by a pregnant woman.

Contraindications to rubella vaccinations include febrile illness, certain immunodeficiencies and systemic immunosuppression, history of an anaphylactic reaction to neomycin, and pregnancy. However, there has been no report of CRS in the offspring of women inadvertently vaccinated during early pregnancy. Therefore, pregnancy termination is not recommended for these patients.

If infection occurs early in pregnancy there is a chance of the virus being passed to the fetus.

World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that countries without vaccination programmes to assess the burden of rubella infection and CRS. How can rubella harm the mother pregnant? What is rubella non-immune, in pregnancy!

Can I have a rubella shot when Im pregnant? It is less serious than red measles, except in pregnant women. Glands in the neck may swell up. A probable case (CRI) requires either: epidemiological evidence (1st trimester infection), or.

In a pregnant woman who is exposed to rubella or who develops signs or symptoms of rubella , serological testing should be performed to determine immune status and risk of congenital rubella syndrome (III-A) 4. The two-dose series of the measles-mumps- rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and is effective at preventing measles infection 2. Measles Infection during Pregnancy Measles infection in pregnant women is associated with several adverse events including increased risk of hospitalization and pneumonia 3. The risk of a single congenital defect falls to approximately 10– by the 16th week and defects are rare when the maternal infection occurs after the 20th week of gestation. When a pregnant woman is known to have been expose collect specimens as you would for other suspect cases. The purpose of this guideline is to provide clinicians with information on the management of pregnant and postnatal women following exposure to measles.

It includes details on vaccination, infection prevention and control and management of contacts. Management of staff expose suspected or proven to have measles is also covered. This combined vaccine contains measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) or measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV).

One dose of rubella -containing vaccine will provide life-long immunity against rubella. Rubella infections can be prevented by immunization. Four cases of rubella infection occurring in pregnancy are presented.

Laboratory diagnosis of primary infection and reinfection is discusse and the need for full immunisation in childhoo and of women of child-bearing age is reiterated. The virology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention through vaccination are discussed separately. Exposed pregnant women The primary goals of rubella case investigations are to prevent exposure of susceptible pregnant women to rubella (and thereby prevent cases of CRS), to assess the immune status of exposed pregnant women, and to identify rubella infections, particularly infections in pregnant women.

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) (notifiable) Maternal rubella infection in pregnancy may result in foetal loss or major defects affecting almost all organ systems. The congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) comprises eye, ear, heart and CNS defects. A fetus infected early in pregnancy has a high probability of developing congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), a syndrome characterized by: low birth weight, eye defects, deafness, cardiac and CNS defects, hepatitis, hepatomegaly, thrombocytopenic purpura, splenomegaly, and bone lesions. Transmission is through direct contact with an infected person or droplet spread.

Symptoms of rubella include: a transient red rash. The main goal of vaccination against rubella is to prevent infection during pregnancy. MMR vaccination is recommended for all non-pregnant adolescents and women of childbearing age without evidence of immunity.

This is particularly important for foreign-born individuals and students.