Mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus – there are many diseases that can be prevented by targeted vaccinations. The health department of the Lüneburg region is now recording an increase in infectious diseases against which citizens can be vaccinated. And the flu shot is especially important this winter: People who have survived COVID-19 infection in particular have weakened immune systems. So the district recommends: “Have vaccination protection checked by your family doctor. Vaccinations are free for you.” Patients are best to bring their vaccination card with them — but they are also welcome without this evidence. The Ministry of Health provides vaccination consultations with an experienced vaccinator every Monday from 8 am to 10 am. Those interested can register for www.impfzentrum.de Or by phone at 04131 735373.
Currently, hepatitis, diphtheria, mumps, rubella and measles are spreading more quickly again. Diseases are highly contagious and are often transmitted through the air we breathe or through smear infections. The effects can have severe consequences for those affected – including paralysis, encephalitis, and infertility or malformations in unborn children. Vaccines that have been tried and tested over many years, such as the well-known measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, on the other hand, are well tolerated and can even be given to infants and young children.
In recent decades, the vaccination rate in Germany has been generally high, and there have been only rare cases. This has consequences for perception: “Doctors are hardly aware of the clinical picture. And only a few people know from their own experience how serious and dangerous these diseases are. So they are no longer taken seriously, and vaccinations are seen more importantly,” says Dr. Marion Wonderlich, medical director of the Lüneburg District Health Department. Existing parents of young children often do not suffer from diseases because they have received the vaccinations themselves. Dr. Marion Wunderlich explains: “No one who is protected by a vaccination knows how painful mumps can be and what itching chickenpox can cause.” And one more thing that many people don’t realize: “Diseases can also be tragic – they appear ten years after infection.”
Another reason for the increasing number of cases: Travel, including trips to distant countries, is again possible. Dr. Marion Wonderlich: “Diseases like hepatitis come with us as unpleasant souvenirs and can spread here. So we always recommend vaccination tips before traveling long distances.” Tetanus is also a disease that can affect anyone. The small wound as an entry gate is sufficient for unnoticed contact with the pathogen – eg when gardening or travelling. On the other hand, there is a combined tetanus and diphtheria vaccine.
More information is available at www.landkreis-lueneburg.de/impfungen.
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