Clinical progress note: Rubella

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.