Prague, April 30 (CTK) – More than 100 cases of measles were registered in the Czech Republic last Friday, mostly in Prague (70) and the surrounding area (13), the Health Ministry told CTK on Monday.
Only individual cases were registered in the country in the past several years. In 2017, there was an outbreak of measles in the Moravia-Silesia Region. The numbers of cases are going up all over Europe.
The vaccination against measles is compulsory in the Czech Republic. It is part of a combined vaccine against measles, rubella and mumps.
Experts say 95 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to secure collective immunity, but only about 90 percent of Czechs underwent the vaccination at present.
The immunity gained through the vaccination may gradually weaken after 30 to 40 years.
The vaccine against measles has been applied in the country since 1969 and no death caused by measles has been registered since 1980. Before the vaccination started, about 50,000 cases of measles were registered in the country a year.
People differ in their opinion of vaccination. Some oppose it and a part of the parents wait till their child is older than is the age set for the vaccination.
Kindergartens do not accept children who were not vaccinated and the parents face a fine for avoiding vaccination of their offspring.
Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease and its symptoms are fever, cough, inflamed eyes, a runny nose and later a rash that spreads all over the body.
In countries without the vaccination programme, measles is a life threatening disease. Globally, it is one of the most common causes of death of children under five years of age.
