1962–1965 rubella epidemic

US outbreak of rubella 1962–1965 rubella epidemic rubella rubella virus United States, Europe 1962–1965 The 1962–1965 rubella epidemic was an outbreak of rubella across Europe and the United States.Howson Christopher P. Howe Cynthia J. Fineberg Harvey V. Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines: A Report of the Committee to Review the Adverse Consequences of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines 1991 National Academies Press (US) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234373/ en 2. Histories of Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines 9–31Plotkin S. A. Rubella eradication Vaccine 14 May 2001 19 25–26 3311–3319 10.1016/s0264-410x(01)00073-1 11348695 0264-410X The rubella virus, also known as the German measles, is a single-stranded RNA virus from the family Togaviridae and genus Rubivirus.Parkman Paul D. Togaviruses: Rubella Virus 1996 Medical Microbiology Baron Samuel https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8200/ 2024-04-30 4th Galveston (TX) University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston 978-0-9631172-1-2 21413314 Typically, the virus is transmitted via droplets, such as coughing or sneezing, however, congenital rubella can be passed on from a pregnant woman to her fetus. The disease itself is fairly mild, usually presenting with a rash on the face and general sickness symptoms, such as coughing, fever, and fatigue, however, the real danger lies in rubella infections in women who are pregnant. Pregnant women with rubella are at risk of having a miscarriage or having a baby born with multiple birth defects due to congenital rubella syndrome. It affected around 12.5 million people in the US. An estimated 11,000 pregnancies ended in miscarriage or stillbirth, just over 2,000 newborn babies died, and of those that survived around 20,000 babies had congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).Rubella in the United States CDC https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/about/in-the-us.html www.cdc.gov 23 September 2023 en-us 23 November 2022Rashes to Research: Scientists and Parents Confront the 1964 Rubella Epidemic NLM https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/rashestoresearch/index.html www.nlm.nih.gov 23 September 2023Sever John L. Nelson Karin B. Gilkeson Mary Ruth Rubella Epidemic, 1964: Effect on 6,000 Pregnancies: I. Preliminary Clinical and Laboratory Findings Through the Neonatal Period: A Report From the Collaborative Study on Cerebral Palsy American Journal of Diseases of Children 1 October 1965 110 4 395–407 10.1001/archpedi.1965.02090030415009 4158019 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/501539 0002-922X subscriptionReagan Leslie J. Dangerous Pregnancies: Mothers, Disabilities, and Abortion in Modern America 2012 University of California Press 978-0-520-27457-0 https://books.google.com/books?id=r7MwDwAAQBAJ en The amount of pregnant women affected by the disease had great repercussions on outlook of abortion. Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, eight years after the rubella epidemic that gave many Americans a different view on the termination of a pregnancy.Roe v. Wade v. Rubella https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/distillations-pod/roe-v-wade-v-rubella/ 2024-04-30 Science History Institute en-US The epidemic led the drive to develop a vaccineVesikari Timo Usonis Vytautas Vesikari Timo Damme Pierre Van Pediatric Vaccines and Vaccinations: A European Textbook 2021 Springer Second Switzerland 978-3-030-77172-0 82–83 9. Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine https://books.google.com/books?id=LLg-EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA82 en which has helped the United States to see as little as 10 new rubella cases a year. History Due to the mild symptoms of rubella, the disease was able to exist in many countries without much notice or attention. However, in 1942 an Australian ophthalmologist, Norman Gregg, discovered that the virus caused birth defects.Cooper L. Z. 1985 The history and medical consequences of rubella Reviews of Infectious Diseases 7 Suppl 1 S2–10 10.1093/clinids/7.supplement_1.s2 0162-0886 3890105 This led to scientists and doctors putting more effort into understanding the disease and finding ways to prevent it. Twenty years later, an outbreak of rubella took place in Europe and eventually made its way to the United States.Plotkin Stanley A. November 2006 The History of Rubella and Rubella Vaccination Leading to Elimination http://academic.oup.com/cid/article/43/Supplement_3/S164/288915/The-History-of-Rubella-and-Rubella-Vaccination Clinical Infectious Diseases en 43 Supplement_3 S164–S168 10.1086/505950 16998777 1537-6591 subscription Abortion as treatment With new information out about the effects of the rubella virus on a fetus, some expectant women and physicians wanted the termination of the pregnancy to be an option. Abortion was illegal in the United States at the height of this epidemic, however, physicians were allowed to perform therapeutic abortions if they believed the mother would be in danger or the fetus would be non-viable or suffer severe damage.Devereux Mary 2011-03-01 Dangerous pregnancies The Journal of Clinical Investigation 121 3 826 10.1172/JCI46158 0021-9738 3049382 See also Stanley Plotkin List of notable disease outbreaks in the United States References Further reading The physician whose 1964 vaccine beat back rubella is working to defeat the new coronavirus Category:1960s epidemics Category:1962 disease outbreaks Category:1963 disease outbreaks Category:1964 disease outbreaks Category:1965 disease outbreaks Category:1962 disasters in the United States Category:1963 disasters in the United States Category:1964 disasters in the United States Category:1965 disasters in the United States Category:Disease outbreaks in the United States Category:Rubella