So far no further cases of measles infection in Vorarlberg

The Vorarlberg state government reported the illness of a small child as confirmed on Friday. The authorities hoped that by isolating the affected family, further spread could be prevented. “We’re not completely out of the woods yet,” said state health director Wolfgang Grabher on Monday. The affected child was not vaccinated and was abroad with his family at the beginning of November. Days later it showed the first symptoms, and later the typical skin rash. The family was segregated by notice in mid-November. The toddler does not yet attend any educational institution. According to Grabher, another child in the family was vaccinated, as was a parent.

Another child was also unvaccinated

It can be assumed that a third, school-age child will get the disease because, like the second parent, he or she has not been vaccinated, says Grabher. Given the incubation period, other cases are certainly possible, but only time will tell. The school and the children’s parents have been informed.

Measles is highly contagious and begins after eight to ten days with fever, cough and runny nose, and the typical skin rash appears after 14 days. For unprotected people, contact with a sick person almost always leads to illness. One in ten people affected have complications, including life-threatening brain inflammation. The state government recommended that everyone who was not vaccinated twice against measles in their childhood or who did not have the disease should be vaccinated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles infections are increasing worldwide because there has not been enough vaccinations for years.