# Clinical progress note: Rubella

## TL;DR

Rubella cases in the US are now rare due to vaccination, but declining global vaccine rates mean clinicians must stay prepared to recognize and manage this disease.

## Contribution

This article provides a clinical review of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome for modern medical practitioners.

## Key findings

- Rubella was eliminated in the US in 2004 due to vaccination.
- Recent US cases are linked to infections acquired abroad.
- Clinicians must remain vigilant as vaccine-preventable diseases resurge globally.

## Abstract

Rates of rubella infection and congenital rubella syndrome decreased significantly since the introduction of the rubella vaccine in 1969. Endemic rubella was declared eliminated in the United States in 2004, and since 2012, all rubella cases in the United States have been associated with infections acquired abroad. With vaccine rates falling worldwide and outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases increasing, it is important for clinicians to be prepared to recognize and manage diseases they may have never seen before, including rubella. This article reviews the clinical manifestations, complications, diagnosis, management, and prevention of acute rubella infection and congenital rubella syndrome.