Confirmed by Batut: Measles again in Serbia
The first cases of measles in Serbia were confirmed in three toddlers. Their health condition is good for now.
Source: B92
Director of the Institute for Public Health "Milan Jovanović Batut" Verica Jovanović said that our reference laboratory in Torlak confirmed the presence of measles on Tuesday taken from three children and one adult from Smederevo, reports RTS.
"The clinical picture is most often manifested by high fever, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by the appearance of measles after a few days. Four days before the appearance of measles, a person is highly infectious, and four days after the appearance of measles is still infectious and can transmit it to others. Therefore, we appeal to all parents whose children have turned one year old to report to the vaccination center and vaccinate their children," urged Ms. Verica Jovanović.
When it comes to coverage of vaccinated children with the MMR vaccine in Serbia, it has been the lowest in the recent period, and medical professionals announced that an epidemic is on our doorstep. The coverage should be over 95 percent, which is, unfortunately, not the case in Serbia.
"According to the data we have, the coverage in 2022 was 71 percent when it comes to children under the age of two, while for children of preschool age, that coverage is about 85 percent, which is still not enough," stated Verica Jovanović.
The director of Batut warned that complications can be severe and even lead to death, which happened during the last epidemic.
In addition to measles, mononucleosis has appeared in school-age children in Novi Pazar, and that outbreak is also being closely monitored, reported the director of the Institute for Public Health "Milan Jovanović Batut".
