Compulsory measles protection: How to protect your child from dangerous viruses!

Compulsory measles protection: How to protect your child from dangerous viruses!

The Borken District Health Office is pulling out all the stops to protect the health of the little ones. At the start of the new kindergarten year, there is an urgent reminder of the obligation to provide proof of measles protection. This requires all parents to provide proof of full vaccination protection for their children aged two and over. This can be done either through two vaccinations or through proof of having recovered from a measles infection. However, children under one year of age are exempt from this rule and do not require proof. For little ones between 1 and 2 years old, a vaccination or proof of immunity is sufficient to be admitted to daycare, as the local report reports.

But what happens if the necessary evidence is not available? The facilities must inform the health department immediately. They could then order potential counseling sessions for the parents and even consider administrative offense proceedings. The Measles Protection Act, which has been in force since March 2020, pursues an important goal: protecting children in schools and daycare centers from the highly contagious viral infection. Unfortunately, measles is anything but harmless and can sometimes lead to serious complications.

The dangers of measles

Measles is a serious infectious disease that is considered particularly contagious. Children under five and adults over 20 are particularly at risk of severe disease. This fact is also underlined by current developments. While the number of measles cases in Europe fell during the Covid-19 pandemic, it rose dramatically again in 2023, as Destatis reports. In 2024, over 127,000 cases of measles were recorded in Europe - the highest number in more than 25 years. Worryingly, 40% of these cases occurred in children under the age of five.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 79 cases of measles were reported in Germany in 2023, but the vaccination rate of 93% (two doses) clearly shows that the goal of preventing the spread of measles has not yet been achieved. A vaccination rate of at least 95% in the population is necessary to establish effective herd protection.

The current vaccination rate in the Borken district

In the Borken district, the vaccination rate for two-year-olds is a pleasing 87 percent, while for those starting school it was even 98 percent. These numbers show that some of the population is already on the right track, but there is still much to be done to protect the community. The Measles Protection Act not only imposes the obligation to provide proof for children, but also for everyone born after 1970 who works or is cared for in community facilities. This also affects children's homes and accommodation for refugees.

A solid awareness of vaccinations and health care is therefore solution-oriented in order to get the highly contagious viral infection under control. The Measles Protection Act, which came into force on March 1, 2020, ensures that the vaccination status of workers in health and community facilities is also checked. Ultimately, protecting children in schools and daycare centers is a task for society as a whole.

Further information about measles and vaccination is available on the website [RKI](https://www.rki.de/DE/Themen/Infection Diseases/Impfen/Impfungen-A-Z/Masern/Masernschutzgesetz.html), and helpful information sheets can also be downloaded there. A well-informed citizen is the best protection against this infectious disease.

Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and get active, because something is happening!