In FBiH, 533 people have contracted measles as of April 12

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Government of FBiH adopted information on the epidemiological situation in the Federation of BiH and the measures taken due to the increased number of measles cases. The Federal Ministry of Health and the Institute for Public Health of FBiH have been instructed to continuously monitor the state of infectious diseases, as well as the current infectious disease - measles (morbilli, rubeola, krzamak) and, in cooperation with the competent health authorities in the cantons, ensure the implementation of preventive and anti-epidemic measures aimed at preventing the occurrence and suppressing the spread of infectious diseases.

This year, an increase in the number of measles cases has been recorded in the cantons, while a state of epidemic has been declared in the Sarajevo Canton. An increased number of measles cases has also been recorded in Europe, mostly among unvaccinated adults and children. Large epidemics with fatal outcomes are ongoing in countries that had previously eliminated or interrupted endemic transmission.

According to the latest data, received by April 12 this year, a total of 533 cases have been reported to the Federal Institute for Public Health (432 in Sarajevo Canton, 67 in Central Bosnia Canton, 10 in Una-Sana Canton, Canton 10, and 16 in Zenica-Doboj Canton). So far, 25 percent of the patients have been hospitalized, and one death has been registered - a seven-month-old baby who died of measles.
According to field reports, the largest number of cases has been registered in the age group from one to four years, which, according to the mandatory program, could have been protected by vaccination.

It was also noted that the Federal Institute for Public Health has sufficient stocks of the MMR vaccine for the needs of the Federation of BiH. New shipments of imported vaccines are expected to arrive at the beginning of May.