Rubella historical perspective
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Historical Perspective
- In May 2012, 194 countries at the World Health Assembly adopted the Global Vaccine Action Plan to eliminate measles and rubella in at least five WHO regions by the end of 2020. 53 member states of the WHO region still did not reach the goal for elimination of rubella to date.[1][2]
Background
Rubella, commonly known as German measles, is a disease caused by Rubella virus. The name is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. This disease is often mild and attacks often pass unnoticed. The disease can last one to five days. Children recover more quickly than adults. Infection of the mother by Rubella virus during pregnancy can be serious; if the mother is infected within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the child may be born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which is a range of serious incurable illnesses. Spontaneous abortion occurs in up to 20% of cases.[3][4]
Rubella is a common childhood infection usually with minimal systemic upset although transient arthropathy may occur in adults. Serious complications are very rare. If it were not for the effects of transplacental infection on the developing foetus, rubella is a relatively trivial infection.
Acquired, (i.e. not congenital), rubella is transmitted via airborne droplet emission from the upper respiratory tract of active cases. The virus may also be present in the urine, feces and on the skin. There is no carrier state: the reservoir exists entirely in active human cases. The disease has an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks.[5]
In most people the virus is rapidly eliminated however, it may persist for some months post partum in infants surviving the CRS. These children were an important source of infection to other infants and, more importantly, pregnant female contacts.
Rubella umbrella campaign
The “rubella umbrella” campaign urged parents to have their children immunized from this viral infection. Rubella, or more commonly referred to as the German measles, is a mild childhood illness that can pose a serious threat to a fetus, if the mother contracts the illness during pregnancy. More than 20,000 babies were born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) during an outbreak of rubella in 1964-65. This epidemic cost the country an estimated $1.5 billion. The rubella vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. in 1969.
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This photograph shows a boy with his “Official Rubella Fighter Membership Card”, and button after being immunized for rubella during the “rubella umbrella” campaign of the late 1960s, early 1970s.
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This mid to late 1960s U.S. Public Health Service announcement from the Office of the Surgeon General, William H. Stewart, M.D., helped to educate the public as to the health complications associated with a measles infection, and the importance of receiving a preventative vaccination.
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This photograph showed a display used to educate the public on Rubella vaccination and the mother to fetus transmission of this virus.
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Shown here is a grouping of four illustrations that were used in public service campaigns to encourage parents to vaccinate their children against Rubella in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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Shown here are two “Official Rubella Fighter Membership Cards”, featuring the “spotted rubella umbrella”. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, these cards were given to children upon receiving a rubella vaccination.
References
- ↑ Allerberger F (2017). "Eliminating measles and rubella in Europe". Clin Microbiol Infect. doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2017.04.008. PMID 28412385.
- ↑ Forbes JA (1969). "Rubella: historical aspects". Am J Dis Child. 118 (1): 5–11. PMID 4892774.
- ↑ Siegel M, Fuerst HT, Guinee VF (1971). "Rubella epidemicity and embryopathy. Results of a long-term prospective study". Am. J. Dis. Child. 121 (6): 469–73. PMID 5581012.
- ↑ Shapiro, Lewis (1965). "The Numbered Diseases: First Through Sixth". JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 194 (6): 680. doi:10.1001/jama.1965.03090190102038. ISSN 0098-7484.
- ↑ Richardson M, Elliman D, Maguire H, Simpson J, Nicoll A (2001). "Evidence base of incubation periods, periods of infectiousness and exclusion policies for the control of communicable diseases in schools and preschools". Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 20 (4): 380–91. PMID 11332662.