While the current outbreak in the United States is worrisome, it pales compared to the measles outbreak in Germany. It is so bad that Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is warning that the country faces the worst outbreak of measles since the adoption of the Infection Protection Act in 2001.
Health authorities in Germany had pledged to eradicate measles by 2015, but 254 new cases have emerged in January alone. Most of the measles cases are centered in Berlin. The Washington Post is saying that if the population of the U.S. and of Germany are taken into account, with Germany’s population at one-fourth of the U.S. population, then the measles cases in January in Germany is 10 times worse than in the U.S.
The Washington Post asked why the surge in measles cases in Germany has not raised questions or at least, debate over the measles vaccine. The main answer is simple. Germany has faced many outbreaks over the years, much worse than in the U.S. We also have two different opinions on the rate of vaccinations in Germany. The RKI says “The outbreak in Berlin is a sobering setback. In general, Germany’s immunization rate is too low.” But the World Health Organization (WHO) is saying Germany already has one of the highest immunization rates for one-year-olds, at 97 percent.
A significant number of measles cases occurred in adults
An interesting observation shows that most of those coming down with measles in Germany and in the U.S. were adults, particularly those adults born between 1970 and 1990. There could be several reasons for this, including a relaxation of the stringent regulations surrounding vaccinations. But even so, it is very worrisome because the disease can be very serious in adults.
So we are looking at the U.S., where the vaccination rate is around 90 percent, and Germany, with a vaccination rate of over 95 percent. RIK officials say the 90 percent vaccination rate is not quite high enough to infer herd immunity, even with most young children being vaccinated. The RIK gives us a different perspective for the number of adult cases in Germany, and it sounds reasonable.
Yugoslavian civil war of the 1990s may be to blame
Local health authorities in Germany first noticed a distinct rise in measles cases in October 2014, seen in refugees and asylum-seekers from Serbia as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authorities say that during the Yugoslav civil war, routine immunizations were interrupted in those areas where the refugees came from. Consequently, most adults have not been vaccinated. Another group of older adults, born in the 1970s is also vulnerable because in those countries the state only recommended one dose instead of two of the MMR vaccine.
Justin Lessler, an Assistant Epidemiology Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, thinks that the recent U.S. outbreaks could have similar origins. “There are several communities in the United States with close ties to countries with circulating measles and low vaccination rates, and these are certainly at risk. Since 2001, outbreaks in the US have been sparked by disease acquired in Romania, Kenya, Switzerland, and many more,” Lessler told The Washington Post.
Measles is considered one of the world’s most contagious diseases. It is easily spread by airborne droplets, and people can carry the disease for as long as four days without showing symptoms.
