Measers outbreak in the USA-Minister of Health gives dubious advice

In the south of the United States, the number of measles diseases continues to increase. In the two particularly affected states of Texas and New Mexico, the number of cases has increased to around 300, as the local authorities said. With a few exceptions, all sick people were not vaccinated.

In Texas alone, according to the local authorities, the number of cases increased to 259, 34 infected people had to be treated in the hospital. A child died of measles disease here in February. At that time there were measles cases in the state of 124.

According to the “New York Times”, the outbreak began at the end of January when two cases were discovered in the rural community of Gaines County on the western border of the state. From there, the measles jumped to neighboring New Mexico, where there was a death, but it has not yet been fully clarified.

Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had often scattered doubts about vaccinations in earlier years, explained the importance of vaccinations in several interviews, but also described it as a personal decision. At the same time, he claimed in an interview with Fox News that vaccinations had side effects, and there are also deaths. Vaccination also causes all the diseases caused by measles, he claimed. In other interviews, he referred to vitamin A and liver trans.

Bryant University’s biology professor Kirsten Hookess contradicted the ABC news channel: The best way to avoid measles is the vaccination. There is no evidence that the other proposed means such as vitamin A have any effect. Immunology Professor Scott Weaver from the University of Texas said in the same station that there were practically no measles outbursts in the past because most people were vaccinated. There have been more outbreaks recently.

In Gaines County, where the outbreak began, the vaccination rate is 82 percent, according to the broadcaster PBS. According to the US health authority CDC, outbreaks can be made if the vaccination rate drops below 95 percent. According to Robert Koch-Institut (RKI), a herdly immunity of 95 percent of the population is also necessary to exterminate measles.

Measles are among the most contagious infectious diseases and can be life -threatening in extreme cases. They are transferred, among other things, via droplets and aerosols that are given, for example, when speaking, coughing and sneezing. The virus triggers symptoms in almost all unprotected people. This includes fever, cough and the typical rash that spreads all over the body.

According to RKI, the number of registered measles cases in Germany fluctuates from year to year. In 2024, 553 measles cases were reported by September 25th. In Germany, a measles liability has been in effect since March 2020: children who are at least one year old and attend a daycare center or school must prove measles protection.