{"id":274,"date":"2024-09-04T12:11:03","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T10:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/?p=274"},"modified":"2024-09-04T12:11:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T10:11:03","slug":"have-you-already-had-measles-the-most-devastating-childhood-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/2024\/09\/04\/have-you-already-had-measles-the-most-devastating-childhood-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Have you already had measles, the most devastating childhood disease?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_274 social_share_privacy clearfix 1.6.4 locale-de_DE sprite-de_DE\"><\/div><div class=\"twoclick-js\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\njQuery(document).ready(function($){if($('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_274')){$('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_274').socialSharePrivacy({\"txt_help\":\"Wenn Sie diese Felder durch einen Klick aktivieren, werden Informationen an Facebook, Twitter, Flattr, Xing, t3n, LinkedIn, Pinterest oder Google eventuell ins Ausland \\u00fcbertragen und unter Umst\\u00e4nden auch dort gespeichert. N\\u00e4heres erfahren Sie durch einen Klick auf das <em>i<\\\/em>.\",\"settings_perma\":\"Dauerhaft aktivieren und Daten\\u00fcber-tragung zustimmen:\",\"info_link\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.heise.de\\\/ct\\\/artikel\\\/2-Klicks-fuer-mehr-Datenschutz-1333879.html\",\"uri\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\\\/scicom\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/04\\\/have-you-already-had-measles-the-most-devastating-childhood-disease\\\/\",\"post_id\":274,\"post_title_referrer_track\":\"Have+you+already+had+measles%2C+the+most+devastating+childhood+disease%3F\",\"display_infobox\":\"on\"});}});\n\/* ]]> *\/<\/script><\/div><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-275 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Image.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Image.jpeg 1792w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Image-300x171.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Image-1024x585.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Image-768x439.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Image-1536x878.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Disclaimer!<\/p>\n<p>This article and its major media content are produced by students to train science communication as part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/\">lecture about human infectious pathogens<\/a>. <strong>The article does not represent official advice from the authorities. For authorized information about the disease in question, please refer to the official health authorities in your country or the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/\"><strong>World Health Organization<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>By <span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string yt-core-attributed-string--white-space-pre-wrap\" dir=\"auto\" role=\"text\"><span class=\"yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color\" dir=\"auto\">Laura Emonds, Anna Schwartz<\/span><\/span> &amp; Franziska Steffens<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Have you ever heard of the term \u201cchildhood disease\u201d? And have you wondered why, as for the<br \/>\nterm, only children can get sick? Why not Mom and Dad, too? We will follow Mandy*, an eightyear-<br \/>\nold girl, who learns about the measles disease during the current outbreaks in the USA.<\/p>\n<h3>Only a childhood disease?<\/h3>\n<p>Mandy comes home from primary school and is fed up. Instead of meeting her best friends<br \/>\nshe must come along to her baby brother Jack\u2019s doctor\u2019s appointment. Her parents explain to<br \/>\nher that Jack will be vaccinated against measles, a childhood disease. Now Mandy is intrigued<br \/>\nas one of her classmates is currently sick with measles. What is a childhood disease?<\/p>\n<p>Diseases are called a childhood disease when the first infection happens during the childhood.<br \/>\nInfected people gain lifelong immunity, which means that they won\u2019t suffer from the same<br \/>\ndisease again. Therefore, children get infected more often than adults. Nevertheless,<br \/>\nunimmunized adults can fall ill with a childhood disease, too.<\/p>\n<p>And what does an infection with measles look like? Mandy watches this video that explains the<br \/>\ncause and symptoms of the measles disease:<\/p>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_VvyBGi-FRRE\"><div id=\"lyte_VvyBGi-FRRE\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VvyBGi-FRRE\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/VvyBGi-FRRE\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VvyBGi-FRRE\/0.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube-Video-Vorschaubild\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Dieses Video auf YouTube ansehen<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<h3>Potential aftermaths of a measles infection<\/h3>\n<p>Those symptoms look pretty heavy, right? But most people get well after about two weeks by<br \/>\ntreating the fever with antipyretics. Most people, but not all. A measles infection weakens your<br \/>\nimmune system, your body\u2019s police system against invading germs, and you can fall ill with<br \/>\npneumonia or in very rare cases can suffer a meningitis. Because of these secondary<br \/>\ninfections you can even die or suffer from lifelong consequences like paralysis.<\/p>\n<h3>How can you protect yourself against<br \/>\nmeasles?<\/h3>\n<p>Now don\u2019t worry about getting infected with measles. These days most children are vaccinated<br \/>\nat age one against measles just like Mandy and her brother Jack. Maybe ask your parents if<br \/>\nyou have been vaccinated against measles. A vaccination protects you from an infection.<br \/>\nThere are vaccinations not just for measles but for many other diseases like e.g. chickenpox,<br \/>\ntoo. Listen to the pediatrician, who answers Mandy\u2019s questions and explains how vaccinations<br \/>\nwork and why they need to inject the vaccine into your arm with a syringe.<\/p>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-274-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Audio.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Audio.mp3\">https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Audio.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>You see, a vaccination is the best way to protect you and the people around you from getting<br \/>\ninfected as the measles disease isn\u2019t just a harmless childhood disease. An infection can have<br \/>\nlethal consequences for young and adults. In some countries like eg. Germany or the USA a<br \/>\nvaccination against measles is compulsory for attending day care and schools as the STIKO**<br \/>\nstated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-277\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Social-300x242.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Social-300x242.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Social-1024x825.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Social-768x619.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Social-1536x1237.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/files\/2024\/06\/SE_2024_Children_Social.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>However, some people fear side effects of a vaccination or insist on their right to selfdetermination<br \/>\nover their own body and reject the vaccination. Nevertheless, objectively<br \/>\nspeaking the benefits of a vaccination outweigh an unlikely risk of vaccination side effects and<br \/>\nprevent horrible, potential lethal courses of a measles infection.<\/p>\n<p>This evening Mandy falls asleep knowing that she and her loved ones are safe just because<br \/>\nof one little prick.<\/p>\n<p>*fictional character<br \/>\n**fictional social media post<\/p>\n<p><em>About the authors:<\/em><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><strong>Laura Emonds<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>22, Master Student Biology, Specialization \u201eMedical Life Sciences\u201c<\/div>\n<div>RWTH Aachen University<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Anna Schwartz<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>23, Master Student Biology, Specialization \u201eMedical Life Sciences\u201c<\/div>\n<div>RWTH Aachen University<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Franziska <\/strong><span id=\"0.10885728958842178\" class=\"highlight\"><strong>Steffens<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div>23, Master Student Biology, <span style=\"color: black;\">Specialization<\/span>\u00a0\u201eMedical Life Sciences\u201c<\/div>\n<div>RWTH Aachen University<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disclaimer! This article and its major media content are produced by students to train science communication as part of a lecture about human infectious pathogens. The article does not represent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4770,"featured_media":318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"c2c_always_allow_admin_comments":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[43,42,44,36,4,30],"class_list":["post-274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-contribution","tag-children","tag-measles","tag-quiz","tag-vaccination","tag-vaccine","tag-virus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4770"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":317,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274\/revisions\/317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/scicom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}