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Measles eradication braked again - again more sufferers
Measles on the decline
In 1980, around 500,000 people worldwide still suffered from measles. After extensive vaccinations in 2010, there were just over 139,000 left.
Infants help herd immunity in mass vaccination against measles, even if they are not vaccinated themselves. (Andrianao_cz / fotolia.com) Measles - No harmless teething
Contrary to popular belief, measles are neither a childhood disease nor harmless. Even adults are affected and fall ill pregnant, this can have serious consequences for the child. In March 2017, for example, 17 children in Romania have already died of measles.
brain inflammation
For example, measles can cause brain inflammation and death. Measles weaken the immune system and attack the liver, lungs and intestines. If the viruses enter the brain, they can lead to measles encephalitis, which can result in permanent disability, dysregulation - or death. After all, this brain inflammation occurs in one in every thousand sick children.
superinfection
Sometimes the viruses harm the immune system so much that other pathogens invade. They can then cause pneumonia, hepatitis or otitis media.
therapy?
There is no therapy against measles viruses. Only the symptoms can be alleviated: Against the fever helps paracetamol or ibuprofen, against the inflamed red spots antibiotics.
Doctors advise to vaccinations
The best remedy for measles is vaccination. The first takes place between the 11th and 14th month. A second time should be vaccinated from the 15th month. Then the vaccinations last a lifetime.
Are vaccinations dangerous?
Some parents mistrust the measles vaccine because they have side effects. But that applies to all vaccinations.
Impfmasern
In the case of measles vaccinations, the site of injection may become inflamed and the so-called vaccines may appear. It is a mild version of measles with a cough, runny nose, mild fever and a low rash.
Too little vaccinations?
In contrast to the USA, there are always measles epidemics in Germany. Professor Gerhard Gaedicke, the director of the Department of Paediatrics at the Berlin Charite, considers the lack of vaccine protection to be the cause.
Many forget the second vaccination
For example, many parents had their children vaccinated against the measles for the first time, but forgot the second vaccination, and the only vaccinated children would not have complete vaccine protection, so Gaedicke.
No complete herd immunity
The more people can be vaccinated, the more increases the so-called herd immunity. The viruses find fewer and fewer bodies in which they can spread, and the disease can no longer spread epidemic.
Infants are affected
At the European Immunization Week since April 24, measles vaccine is a big topic. Pediatricians point out that 450 of the 450 measles reported at the Robert Koch Institute were 50 infants. All the more important is the vaccination.
Individual decision?
Vaccine skeptics demand a free decision to get vaccinated. Doctors respond that this would contradict the nature of a vaccine. The more people are vaccinated, the less the virus spreads among the uninoculated as well as infants. Only mass vaccinations could build up a herd immunity. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)