Infectious disease to be eliminated - already vaccinated against measles?

Health experts call for measles vaccination check

Although measles has been on the decline since the introduction of the vaccine some 40 years ago, the eradication of the infectious disease has been repeatedly curbed. Blame is that in this country too few people are vaccinated. Health experts are now calling for their own measles vaccine to be checked.

Extermination of the measles fails due to low vaccination rate

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has set itself the goal of eliminating measles worldwide, it was not until the beginning of the year that the experts reported that the number of measles cases in Europe had increased massively. It would be possible to eradicate the infectious disease if long-term 95 percent of the population are protected against it. In Germany, however, this goal has not yet been reached, so that here again and again reported on an increasing number of measles diseases. The Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) calls therefore with their campaign "Germany seeks the vaccination - vaccinated against measles?" To check the measles vaccine protection.

Since too few people in Germany are vaccinated against measles, health experts call again to have their own vaccine protection. (Image: pit24 / fotolia.com)

Even adults need to protect themselves

"Measles are not a harmless childhood disease. Effective measles vaccination is just as important for adolescents and adults born after 1970 as it is for toddlers, "explains Drs. Heidrun Thaiss, head of the BZgA, in a statement.

As the expert explained, while parents are referred to the necessary child vaccinations in the screening tests and 95 percent consider the measles vaccine for her offspring as necessary.

"Nevertheless, many children receive the vaccinations later than recommended or miss the second dose necessary for complete vaccination coverage. More than half of all cases of measles in Germany also affect adolescents and adults up to the age of 45, "Dr. Thaiss.

And: "Many adults born after 1970 are not aware that they are also recommended to have measles vaccines. Therefore, the BZgA calls for testing the individual measles vaccine protection. "

According to data from a nationwide BZgA representative survey on the subject of vaccination, 87 percent of the adults surveyed consider the goal of preventing the spread of measles to be important or very important.

However, the study data also show that among those born after 1970, the measles vaccine in adulthood rates only 77 percent as important or particularly important.

Highly contagious disease

Measles are highly contagious. The disease is transmitted by droplet infection. It begins with flu-like symptoms such as high fever, cough and runny nose. Later follows the characteristic rash.

In general, measles weaken the immune system. As a result, it can come to, among other things, bronchitis, otitis media or pneumonia. In rare cases, the infection can be fatal.

The disease is particularly dangerous in infants and toddlers. (Ad)