The MMR vaccine is targeted at measles, mumps and rubella. The latter, rubella, is a cause of abortions and developmental defects in children of mothers who are infected with the virus during the first twenty weeks of pregnancy.

Cataracts in a CRS infant (Source: wikipedia.)

It is sometimes useful to look at historical papers to get a perspective of present-day issues. An advantage is that you can look at work written prior to current fuss, such as the anti-vaccine noise over the MMR vaccine over the past ten or so years, which Andrew Wakefield’s now retracted research article plays a central but by no means exclusive role.¹

The rubella component of the MMR vaccine is targeted to mothers to counter infection during their first two trimesters of pregnancy.

Infection during the first trimester results in about a half of the infants being affected, falling to about one-quarter when infection occurs during the second trimester, with few effects observed for infection occurring after 20 weeks.

“Rubella kids”, like myself, have what is called congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), having one or more of three common symptoms:

• Slightly more than one-half of CRS infants have sensorineural deafness
• Somewhat less than one-half have eye abnormalities of various kinds, particularly cataracts (see illustration above) and microphthalmia (small eyes).
• Heart defects occur in approximately one-half of CRS infants.²

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