Doctors leave babies at home for measles

Due to the measles outbreak in Berlin, paediatricians are currently urging parents not to go public with their babies. The offspring should be looked after better because of the risk of infection at home. Already over 650 measles cases have been registered in the capital.

Keep infants at home for contagion
For weeks, the great measles outbreak in Berlin is worrying. Now follow more consequences. According to a message from the news agency dpa, the professional association of paediatricians (BVKJ) advised that because of the risk of infection, babies should be cared for at home until the wave stops. As the BVKJ announced, the reason for this is the risk of a rare but fatal long-term consequence of the disease. In addition, it is reported that there should be a central vaccination office at the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs (Lageso) by the summer to improve health protection for refugees. Spokeswoman Silvia Kostner said that this offer should complement existing opportunities in districts and general practitioners.

Chronic measles brain inflammation always leads to death
As the State Office announced, Berlin has been suffering from measles since October 652 people. 80 new registered cases were added this week alone. Since the start of the Infection Protection Act in 2001, the current eruption is the largest that the capital has experienced. So far, 54 babies under the age of one have been suffering from measles since October. According to the BVKJ, they have a higher risk of being diagnosed with chronic measles meningitis (SSPE) than older children. Jakob Maske, state spokesman for the Berlin BVKJ said that even if SSPE is very rare, it always leads to death. There is no therapy.

Check your own measles vaccine protection
According to the professional association, two to six children per year die of SSPE in Germany. The sad thing is that the suffering and death of children without measles infection would have been avoidable. A case from Hessen caused and caused a great stir. There, the five-year-old Aliana is affected by SSPE. Since her mother was inadequately vaccinated, the girl fell ill with measles for three months and is now terminally ill. Her parents made an urgent appeal to the public not to neglect the measles vaccine protection. On the occasion of the outbreak in Berlin, several health experts repeatedly point out the importance of vaccination protection. Among other things, one can check their own measles vaccine protection by using the online measles vaccination check of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).

Immunization during pregnancy is not possible
A newborn is protected in the first months only by a mother with complete measles vaccine protection. Immunization is no longer possible during pregnancy. But even with the nest protection remains until the child vaccination a gap of a few months. In Germany measles vaccination is only permitted for children from the age of nine months. As Jan Leidel, chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission, explained, she probably would not work before that. "If you want to play it safe, you're better off staying home with a baby."

Discussion about legal compulsory vaccination rekindled
On the occasion of the Berlin measles wave also the discussion over a legal obligation to vaccination was rekindled. "The majority of Germans are for measles vaccination," as polls have revealed over the past few weeks. Vaccination opponents still hold against it and sometimes point to possible side effects of immunization such as redness, swelling, fever or itchy skin rash. Compared to the effects of measles disease, in which the immune system is weakened and various symptoms such as fever, otitis media or diarrhea may occur, the risks of vaccination are not a comparison, my advocates. Not to mention the rare serious, sometimes fatal complications.

Central vaccination center for refugees
In Berlin, refugees should also be better protected against contagion. As Spokeswoman Kostner announced, a concept for the central vaccination center is currently being developed together with the districts. Many asylum seekers come from nations where the health system is no longer or only poorly functioning due to war and crises. "The interest of refugees in vaccinations is often great," says Kostner. For example, many Syrian children were no longer vaccinated because of the civil war in their former home. And asylum seekers from the Balkan states such as Bosnia are stumbling heavily because of the civil war in the 1990s. It is said that this was one cause of the rapid spread of measles in a Berlin refugee home in October. However, that this disease then spread around, was due to the lack of vaccine protection of many Berlin. (Ad)