DThe UK Health Security Agency is concerned about the increasing number of measles infections. In Central England, an increasing number of infections have been detected around Birmingham in recent months. The health authority said more than 200 confirmed cases and around 100 suspected cases have been reported in the West Midlands region since October. 80 percent of the cases occurred in Birmingham, the majority of them in children younger than ten years old.
“Colleagues in the West Midlands have worked tirelessly to get the outbreak under control,” said head of the authority Jenny Harries. “But because vaccination rates are so low in some communities, there is now a real risk that the virus will spread to other communities and cities.” Measles can be prevented with two doses of the vaccine.
Extremely contagious
Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases of all. The virus is transmitted, for example, when coughing, sneezing or speaking. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and a reddish-brown rash. The virus can cause serious complications such as brain inflammation and, even after several years, a very rare but fatal long-term consequence – subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).
SSPE is extremely rare in the United States and Western Europe because of widespread measles vaccination. However, tragically, infections occur again and again in infants who have not yet been vaccinated – for example, if an unvaccinated person suffering from measles was in a practice at the same time or hours before. The risk of developing SSPE is highest in people who contracted measles when they were younger than two years old.
Death cannot be stopped
So far the disease cannot be stopped. Initial signs such as forgetfulness and irritability are followed by symptoms such as hallucinations and seizures. Mental deterioration, speech problems, muscle stiffness and swallowing problems follow. Death usually occurs one to three years after the onset. Experts have long criticized the claim that it is just a harmless childhood illness.
In Germany, vaccination against measles has been mandatory since March 2020, which applies to daycare centers and schools and also applies to some professional groups such as staff in hospitals. The British health authority called on parents to have their children vaccinated. On average, only 85 percent of children who come to school are vaccinated twice, said Harries, according to the BBC. A rate of 95 percent is recommended to avoid major outbreaks.