Rubella Banished From U.S.

According to this article, Rubella (the "R" in MMR vaccine) has been elminated from the U.S. The only reported cases in the last year have been imported.

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Rubella, also commonly known as German measles, soft measles or three-day measles, is a usually mild viral infection that causes a fever and a rash.

But early in pregnancy it can cause birth defects ranging from deafness to severe brain damage and death.

"During 1964 and 1965 a rubella epidemic in the United States caused an estimated 12.5 million cases of rubella and 20,000 cases of congenital rubella syndrome which led to more than 11,600 babies born deaf, 11,250 fetal deaths, 2,100 neonatal (newborn) deaths, 3,580 babies born blind and 1,800 babies born mentally retarded," the CDC said in a statement.

A vaccine was licensed in 1969 and since then the rubella virus has been included in the measles, mumps and rubella or MMR combined vaccine routinely given to babies and young children.

Now the CDC estimates that 93 percent of the nation's children younger than 2 get the vaccine.

Of course, this doesn't mean we stop vaccinating. Importation of the virus is always a threat, but this is good progress.