Rubella on An Infant's Back

Rubella is often called three-day measles. Because of the very effective vaccine, rubella is seldom seen today. The rubella vaccine is given in combination with measles (rubeola) and mumps. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)

Rubella

Rubella is a contagious viral infection with mild symptoms associated with a rash, fever, headache and runny nose. It can be transmitted to a fetus by a mother with an active infection. Another name for rubella is German measles.

Antibodies

Antigens are large molecules (usually proteins) on the surface of cells, viruses, fungi, bacteria, and some non-living substances such as toxins, chemicals, drugs, and foreign particles. The immune system recognizes antigens and produces antibodies that destroy substances containing antigens.