All articles tagged with #rubella
A large study involving more than 2.5 million U.S. children found no association between receiving the MMR vaccine before age 2 and autism, reinforcing decades of evidence that the vaccine is safe.
The Washington Post notes that with the U.S. seeing more than 900 measles cases so far this year (per CDC), measles is a “canary in the coal mine” for public health. Experts warn that if vaccination rates keep falling, nine other vaccine-preventable diseases could re-emerge, including rubella, meningitis and hepatitis, underscoring the need to maintain high vaccination coverage to prevent larger outbreaks.
The World Health Organization declared Japan free of endemic rubella in 2025 after a nationwide vaccination drive that expanded to vaccinate men and improve screening. This followed a 2012–2013 outbreak that produced 45 Congenital Rubella Syndrome cases and 11 deaths. Infections fell from over 14,000 in 2013 to 10 in 2021, driven by advocacy from families affected by rubella and a push for wider immunization. Experts caution that vigilance is still needed to prevent reintroduction from abroad, so maintaining high vaccination coverage remains essential.
Vaccine rates in the US are declining rapidly, leading to a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles, rubella, and polio, with the potential for millions of infections and serious health consequences if trends continue.