Measles case confirmed

“Serious illness and absolutely avoidable suffering”

Richard Greil sees "a paradoxical development" away from vaccinations that protect against serious illnesses.

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

In the city of Salzburg, a six-year-old boy has been confirmed to have measles. The city calls for vaccination. Richard Greil, Head of Internal Medicine III at the provincial hospitals, warns of the dangers of measles in an interview with "Krone".

The infectious disease spreads particularly quickly among children. They put their heads together at kindergarten or school and often spend many hours in groups of two dozen children. The measles viruses can easily spread via droplet infection. Because a laboratory test showed measles in a six-year-old attending a city kindergarten, the city council immediately informed the parents of these children.

Measles spreads rapidly, especially in groups of children. The first confirmed case in Salzburg for some time was discovered in the provincial clinics on Tuesday.

(Bild: Dan Race - stock.adobe.com)

They should check their protection status and that of their children and get vaccinated quickly if necessary, the health authorities recommend. According to Richard Greil, many people underestimate how serious the consequences of an infection can be. In this interview, the expert from the Salzburg Regional Hospitals describes the possible complications.

Dr. Greil, why shouldn't measles be taken lightly?
Richard Greil: Because it is a very serious disease that causes up to 350,000 deaths every year. People in the western world who are increasingly immunocompromised, for example after chemotherapy, have little protection. A measles infection can lead to serious complications. These include tracheitis, pneumonia and meningitis. In unvaccinated children, death can even occur years later.

Why is one in five under-18s unvaccinated?
This is a completely paradoxical development, triggered by a generation of alternative medical practitioners and some media outlets. They have propagated the need to get the immune system fit and have even organized measles parties. This is having an effect. A fake medical publication claimed that the vaccination leads to autism. But measles is about absolutely avoidable suffering.

When does measles spread the most?
In winter and early spring, through droplet infection and aerosols - virus particles that can hang in the air for hours. There is a pandemic every three to five years.