Rubella has a worldwide distribution the disease incidence is usually highest in spring and winter. Before the introduction of vaccination outbreaks tend to occur every 5 to 6 years.

Large-scale rubella vaccination during the last decade has drastically reduced or practically eliminated rubella and CRS in many developed and in some developing countries.

Rubella has been widely controlled and is close to elimination from countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region that have introduced rubella vaccine with high routine coverage.