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Rubella: your questions answered

Contents:What is rubella?
What damage can rubella do to my baby?
How can I protect myself against rubella?
I had rubella as a child. Am I immune?
Why am I being offered MMR vaccine and not a single rubella vaccine?
Doesn?t MMR vaccination cause autism?
I have been immunised before. How do I know whether I'm still protected?
I thought I was immune, but my blood has just been tested and now they say I'm not. Why?
I had a blood test for rubella in my last pregnancy and they said I was immune. Will I still be protected in my next pregnancy?
Can I have the MMR vaccine if I am breastfeeding? Won't my baby be affected by the vaccine?
I'm pregnant and my friend (or my friend?s child) has a rubella-type rash. What should I do?
I've just been immunised against rubella and now I find that I was pregnant at the time. Will my baby be damaged?
I'm pregnant and I've got a rash. What should I do?
Can you catch rubella more than once? Can someone who is known to be immune catch rubella?
I have recently arrived in the UK, and don't think that MMR or rubella vaccinations were offered in my country of birth. What should I do?
Further information

Can I have the MMR vaccine if I am breastfeeding? Won't my baby be affected by the vaccine?

MMR vaccine can be given to breastfeeding mothers without any risk to their baby. Very occasionally rubella vaccine virus has been found in breast milk but this has not caused any symptoms in the baby. There is no evidence of mumps and measles viruses being found in a mother’s milk and even if they were, your baby’s digestive system would kill them.

So your baby won’t be affected by your having the MMR vaccine to protect you and your next baby from rubella.



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