Most people recover quickly and completely from rubella. However, the greatest danger from rubella is not to children or adults, but to unborn babies. These babies may be born deaf or blind. They may have damaged hearts or unusually small brains. Many are mentally retarded.
Miscarriages are also common among women who get rubella while they are pregnant.
The last big rubella epidemic was in 1964. As a result of that epidemic about 20,000 babies were born with severe birth defects. We can protect mothers and their babies from the tragic effects of rubella in two ways. One is to make sure that women are immune to rubella before they become pregnant. This keeps them from getting rubella while they are pregnant, which also protects their unborn children.