San Diego Reader

In the years 1963 and '64, an outbreak of the disease affected 12 million people in the U.S. When the virus caught up with expectant mothers, 11,000 fetuses died; 20,000 babies were born with permanent disabilities (deafness was the most common).

Once the vaccine was licensed in 1969 and the "Rub Out Rubella" campaign was under way, the number of cases dropped markedly. Nowadays, the vaccine is usually given at the same time as measles and mumps vaccines (information from immunizationinfo.org)

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