1964-65 – rubella (German measles) epidemic, especially newborns –2,100

–2,100 newborn babies. CDC. Rubella in the U.S. Webpage, 12-31-2020.
Narrative Information

CDC: “Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It is also called “German measles,” but it is caused by a different virus than measles. Rubella was eliminated from the United States in 2004. Rubella elimination is defined as the absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area….

“Before the rubella vaccination program started in 1969, rubella was a common and widespread infection in the United States. During the last major rubella epidemic in the United States from 1964 to 1965, an estimated 12.5 million people got rubella, 11,000 pregnant women lost their babies, 2,100 newborns died, and 20,000 babies were born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Once the vaccine became widely used, the number of people infected with rubella in the United States dropped dramatically.

“Today [2020], less than 10 people in the United States are reported as having rubella each year. Since 2012, all rubella cases had evidence that they were infected when they were living or traveling outside the United States. To maintain rubella elimination, it is important that children and women of childbearing age are vaccinated against rubella….” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rubella in the U.S. (Webpage.) 12-31-2020.)

CDC on German Measles: “Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles): Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Most people who get rubella usually have a mild illness, with symptoms that can include a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Rubella can cause a miscarriage or serious birth defects in a developing baby if a woman is infected while she is pregnant. The best protection against rubella is MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine.”

Transmission: “Rubella spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Also, if a woman is infected with rubella while she is pregnant, she can pass it to her developing baby and cause serious harm…. A person with rubella may spread the disease to others up to one week before the rash appears, and remain contagious up to 7 days after. However, 25% to 50% of people infected with rubella do not develop a rash or have any symptoms.

“People infected with rubella should tell friends, family, and people they work with, especially pregnant women, if they have rubella. If your child has rubella, it’s important to tell your child’s school or daycare provider.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rubella. 9-17-2017 review.)

CDC on Measles and Rubella: “Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It can result in serious health complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and even cause death.

“Rubella is a viral infection that affects unvaccinated children and young adults. If an unvaccinated woman gets rubella while pregnant – especially in her first three months – serious consequences can result, including miscarriages, fetal deaths, still births, and having infants born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

“CRS is a group of devastating birth defects that includes blindness, deafness, and heart defects. More than 100,000 children are born every year with CRS, mainly in Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific.

“What do Measles and Rubella have in common? While rubella is sometimes referred to as “German measles,” the rubella and measles viruses are unrelated and are from different virus families. However, they do have some similarities. Both viruses:

are spread from person to person by coughing and sneezing,

can result in fever and skin rash after infection, and

survive only in human hosts.

“Measles and rubella can be prevented with vaccines that can be delivered together as a combined measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, or combined with vaccines against mumps (MMR) and varicella (chickenpox) (MMRV).” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts about Measles & Rubella. 8-31-2017 review.)

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts about Measles & Rubella. 8-31-2017 review. Accessed 5-5-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/measles/facts.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rubella. 9-17-2017 review. Accessed 5-5-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rubella in the U.S. (Webpage.) 12-31-2020. Accessed 7-31-2022 at: https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/about/in-the-us.html

United States Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Vital Statistics of the United States 1965: Volume II – Mortality, Part A. Washington: GPO, 1967. Accessed 6-15-2022 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/mort65_2a.pdf