Story: Epidemics

Rubella vaccination, 1982

A young girl makes a surprised face as a woman injects her with a vaccine.

Diseases which were once feared are now prevented or controlled by immunisation with a vaccine. This girl is being immunised against rubella in 1982.

The rubella vaccine was introduced to the national immunisation schedule in 1970, but there was low uptake, especially among boys. Because rubella is generally a mild disease but dangerous if contracted when pregnant – the virus can attack the foetus and cause physical and intellectual disability – the schedule was changed so that only girls were given the vaccine, at age 11. However, health officials realised that boys with rubella were continuing to spread the disease, so in 1990 the schedule was changed to include boys once again.

Since then, all children have been immunised against rubella through the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Girls continued to receive a second rubella-only vaccine until 1992, when this was replaced in the schedule by a second MMR dose for all children.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PAColl-7327)
Reference: EP/1984/2017
by Ian Mackley

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Geoff Rice, 'Epidemics - Preventing epidemics, 1970s to early 21st century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/27775/rubella-vaccination-1982 (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Geoff Rice, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 8 Feb 2024