Contagiousness
The rubella virus passes from person to person through tiny drops of fluid from the nose and throat. People who have rubella are most contagious from 1 week before to 1 week after the rash appears. Someone who is infected but has no symptoms can still spread the virus.
Infants who have congenital rubella syndrome can shed the virus in urine and fluid from the nose and throat for a year or more and may pass the virus to people who have not been immunized.
Prevention
Rubella can be prevented by the rubella vaccine. Widespread immunization against rubella is critical to controlling the spread of the disease, thereby preventing birth defects caused by congenital rubella syndrome.
The vaccine is usually given to children at 12-15 months of age as part of the scheduled measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunization. A second dose of MMR is generally given at 4-6 years of age. As is the case with all immunization schedules, there are important exceptions and special circumstances. For example, if your child will be traveling outside the United States, the vaccine can be given as early as 6 months of age. Talk to your child’s doctor to see when the vaccine is needed.
The rubella vaccine should not be given to pregnant women or to a woman who may become pregnant within 1 month of receiving the vaccine. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, make sure that you're immune to rubella through a blood test or proof of immunization. If you're not immune, you should receive the vaccine at least 1 month before you become pregnant.
Pregnant women who are not immune should avoid anyone who has the illness and should be vaccinated after delivery so that they will be immune during any future pregnancies.
Incubation
The incubation period for rubella is 14-23 days, with an average incubation period of 16-18 days. This means that it can take 2-3 weeks for a child to get rubella after they are exposed to someone with the disease