VIENNA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Health Minister
Andrea Kdolsky confirmed on Wednesday that measles epidemic has broken out in
some regions of Austria while Salzburg's Governor Gabi Burgstaller called on the
vaccination for the victims.
According to Austrian Press Agency (APA), Burgstaller
claimed for measles vaccinations for people who were under 40 years old and
never infected with measles.
"This is the only sensible and effective measure to
control the further spread of measles affection," she emphasized.
The measles epidemic broke out firstly in a school in
Salzburg, where 127 measles patients have been registered. Infected people have
also been found in Upper Austria near Salzburg.
Experts estimated that the number of infected people
would be further increasing. Director of District Management Bureau of Salzburg
Christine Fuchs said infected people were mainly children and youngsters, the
measles-source school "has been isolated."
Local health departments also called on people to
stay at home to avoid being infected. People who had suspicious symptoms like
fever or eczema should call the nearby clinic or stay at home, waiting for
immediate treatment, so that the patients would have less possibility to spread
the disease.
Meanwhile, the Austrian Pharmacy Chamber said in its
press release that vaccine against measles in Salzburg are available in all
pharmacies with a price-cut till end of April and the cost of 24 euros per dose,
of which the original price was 29 euros.
The Upper Austrian Health Bureau confirmed on
Wednesday that three children who were also the students in a Salzburg school,
were infected with measles.
In order to better prevent and control the epidemic,
Kdolsky said the medical staff and persons in the Red Cross could be vaccinated
free of charge.
She also pointed out that the parents did not think
much of the vaccination against measles in the past few years, which was wrong.
The vaccination had efficiently prevented the outbreak of measles in the past
few decades.
