Comment – Trust in science is required

Measles may have already been eliminated. However, ten people in Lower Austria had contracted the virus since the previous week.

This can be caused by too few people being vaccinated against it. The decline in the vaccination rate has been evident for years. During Covid – as with many other diseases – particularly large gaps have emerged, as Ministry of Health figures show. Although the vaccination rate will rise again in 2022, it has not (yet) been able to close down again.

It is completely understandable that parents think very carefully about what they give their infants or what they vaccinate. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccination, which is recommended from nine months of age, has been tried and tested for decades. It is much more effective than vaccination against influenza or Covid: anyone who has had both partial vaccinations is protected not only from serious illness, but also from any infection.

Politicians need to communicate this fact better, especially among demographic groups skeptical about vaccinations. If you're not a doctor, you should also trust the advice of science. The goal should be to achieve the 95 percent vaccination rate needed to eradicate the disease. Because, even if some people are lucky and experience a mild case of measles, the disease is certainly no walk in the park, with its long-term consequences and high rates of hospitalization.