Infections with scarlet fever have risen sharply in Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt in the past year. According to an analysis by DAK-Gesundheit, around six times more children with scarlet fever were treated in doctors' surgeries in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia in 2023 than in the previous year, and three times as many in Saxony. This is the result of a recent special analysis as part of the DAK Children and Youth Report.
In Saxony, around 18,200 children aged between one and 14 were affected - the highest level in the past five years. In Saxony-Anhalt, there were around 11,500 children and in Thuringia around 8,700 children. In all three states, this is the highest level in the past five years.
Medical experts see catch-up effects after the coronavirus pandemic as the cause. According to the DAK, the number of scarlet fever diagnoses by doctors fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic - with the lowest level in 2021. However, scarlet fever infections increased noticeably from 2022 onwards.
