In the last half of the year 285 cases of measles in New York have occurred. That sounds little, but in the entire year of 2017, there were only two cases. New York city mayor Bill de Blasio now has to call a state of emergency for parts of the city district of Brooklyn. Everyone who lives there, must be a shot for the measles. Otherwise, penalties of up to $ 1,000 (about 890 euros) threaten.
In several regions of the US, there have been outbreaks recently of measles. The authorities make the resistance of Impfgegnern responsible. The district of Rockland County, in the state of New York had to call at the end of March the state of emergency. Actually, the disease had been declared in the year 2000 for eradicated. Despite large vaccination campaigns, almost one-third of the Region is not vaccinated between one and 18 years, to appreciate authorities.
One of the most contagious diseases ever
The world health organization (WHO) has declared the avoidance or delay of vaccination recently to one of ten major threats to health worldwide. So she is on a list with Ebola, antibiotic resistance and air pollution.
A measles infection weakens the immune system immensely, more infections are so common. A dreaded result of an inflammation of the brain, the measles encephalitis which can be fatal or with permanent damage. As a late result of measles infection is an inflammation of the nerve cells of the brain and of the spinal cord may form also after years of a so-called subacute sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE),. It leads to the failure of brain functions and finally to death.
Germany: debate on mandatory vaccination
Also in Germany is currently being discussed again amplified by a measles vaccination. Federal Minister of health, Jens Spahn is in favour of mandatory measles vaccination for children in day-care centres and schools. It was an intervention in the freedom, but the awareness campaigns in the past few years have not brought the desired effect.
Until the middle of March have been infected in Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute, a total of 236 people with the measles. Measles is among the most contagious pathogens. An Infected comes with a human contact that is not protected by vaccination or previous illness, becomes ill with a probability of 95 percent.
In fact, Germany had, in consultation with the WHO, the goal of measles by 2015, to eradicate. At least 95 percent of the people would have to be twice against the pathogen inoculated. In the case of the children who were enrolled in school in 2016 in Germany, had received 97.1 percent of the first vaccination. The second syringe could, however, have only 92.9 percent.