Health warning: measles and hepatitis A spread out in Vienna!

Health warning: measles and hepatitis A spread out in Vienna!

In the Austrian capital Vienna, measles and hepatitis A spread alarming. This prompted the MA 15 to send warnings to hospitals, rescue organizations and medical practices in order to make the health hazard clear by these diseases. By the beginning of July 2025, 59 confirmed measles cases and 110 suspected cases were recorded. Compared to the previous year, in which 72 confirmed cases were registered in the same period, however, there is no significant increase in measles cases Meinverzirk .

A particularly worrying trend are the increasing hepatitis A cases: if there were only 21 registered diseases in 2023, it is already 113. In 2024 there was also a worrying statistics.

vaccinations as an effective prevention measure

In order to contain the outbreak of these diseases avoidable by vaccinations, health policy recommends that measles vaccination, which is administered as a combination vaccination (mumps, measles, rubble) from the 9th month of life. Two vaccinations are necessary to ensure lifelong protection. Similar guidelines apply to hepatitis A vaccination: Here, two vaccinations from the age of 1 are also required, whereby the second vaccination should be given between 6 and 18 months after the first to offer protection for at least 30 years

The costs for hepatitis A vaccinations fluctuate between 32.56 euros and 86.71 euros gross. Especially in risky living situations, such as homeless people, access to vaccinations and general health protection is considered critical. The AGE has already confirmed that socially disadvantaged groups of hepatitis A are particularly affected, which underlines the need for information measures Ages .

European context and challenges

If we look beyond the borders, a similar picture in Europe shows. According to the WHO, more than 127,350 measles cases were registered in Europe in 2024. Children under the age of five are particularly affected. Vaccination status is crucial in the fight against the disease. The required vaccination rate to prevent the distribution is 95 %. In countries like Hungary, the vaccination rate is already 99 %, while Romania is struggling with a quota of only 62 %, which heats up the incidence in this country.