839 cases of measles in ZDK, most in Kakanj, Zenica and Visoko, parents urged to vaccinate their children

(Patria) - In less than six months in the Zenica-Doboj Canton (from January 1 to June 27), a total of 839 cases of measles have been reported, so we have an exponential increase in the number of measles patients, said Dr. Alis Kozica, head of the Epidemiology and Hygiene Service at the Institute for Health and Food Safety (INZ) Zenica.

He stated that in this canton, this currently means that one sick child can infect 31 unvaccinated children, which will further complicate the epidemiological and health situation.

"If an unvaccinated child becomes infected with measles, then that child is at high risk of complications that measles brings. Some of the complications are that 5-15 percent of children develop middle ear infection, 5-10 percent develop pneumonia, a severe form of post-infectious encephalitis can occur, acute diarrhea and enteropathy with protein loss, and additionally measles cause acute vitamin A deficiency and blindness can occur in childhood. Unfortunately, in 5-10 percent of cases, death can occur," emphasizes Dr. Kozica.

The largest number of patients in the Zenica-Doboj Canton is in Zenica (315), Kakanj (314) and Visoko (118), precisely in those areas where vaccination coverage is very low, which also means low herd immunity.

"As an example of good practice where vaccination coverage is high in places such as Maglaj, Doboj Jug, Tešanj, Usora, Olovo, Vareš, Breza, where vaccination coverage is high, we have high herd immunity, and we also have a small number of patients," emphasizes Chief Kozica.

The Institute for Health and Food Safety especially calls on parents whose children are not vaccinated in Kakanj, Zenica and Visoko, where the largest number of patients are, to immediately take unvaccinated children for measles vaccination, to follow the example of parents who vaccinated their children in areas where they achieved high herd immunity and protected their children without any harmful consequences.

"As an example of good practice that measles vaccines work, we have a person born in 1971 who was vaccinated in that period and now, when they did a serological test, they have a high titer of antibodies to measles," emphasizes Kozica.

The only effective epidemiological measure against measles is vaccination. Therefore, INZ appeals and calls on parents to use the school holiday period to vaccinate their children before the start of the upcoming school year.