Rubella Vaccination During Pregnancy Does Not Cause CRS

Women infected with the rubella virus during the first trimester of pregnancy pass the infection to the fetus about 80% of the time, resulting in congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Infants with CRS show developmental abnormalities, which can include cardiac malformations, sensorineural hearing loss, encephalitis, mental retardation, and eye malformations. The rubella vaccine, widely used in the U.S., is prepared with a live, attenuated virus and poses a theoretical risk for teratogenicity if administered during pregnancy. To further examine this risk, researchers in Toronto conducted a prospective study involving 94 women who had inadvertently received the rubella vaccine during the 3 months before pregnancy or during the first trimester, a…