Major measles outbreak in the Vogtland district

There has been a major measles outbreak in the Vogtland district of Saxony. Twelve children between the ages of one and 13 from two families were affected, the district office announced on Tuesday. The cases had been reported to the health authority "recently". The district office did not provide further details. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), no measles cases were recorded in Saxony in the whole of 2023, compared to 57 in Germany as a whole.

The sick children were in domestic isolation during the infection period. School-age children are excluded from school for the duration of the infection. The district office pointed out that a vaccination effectively protects against infection with measles. It was initially unclear whether the affected children had been vaccinated. Vaccination has been compulsory for children nationwide since March 2020.

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and can lead to serious complications in children under the age of five and adolescents, according to the district office. Symptoms include fever, conjunctivitis and the typical skin rash. Complications can include inflammation of the middle ear and lungs, and very rarely inflammation of the brain. An infection often weakens the immune system for a long time. Anyone who has had measles once is immune.