Bajrami: Only 65% of children have been vaccinated against measles, risk of spread remains high

Only 65 percent of children in the country have been vaccinated against measles, specifically with the MMR vaccine, Lulzime Bajrami, an epidemiologist at the Public Health Center, told TVM2. She warned that measles outbreaks have been recorded in Kosovo, Albania and Serbia, meaning the disease could spread to Macedonia at any moment.

Bajrami urged parents to vaccinate their children, stressing that the current vaccination rate of 65 percent is insufficient and must not be allowed to continue. According to her, before immunization, children should undergo medical examinations to assess the presence of infections, viruses and the state of their immune systems.

The epidemiologist rejected claims that the measles vaccine causes autism, referring to studies that demonstrate the opposite. She said vaccination is the only way to protect children from measles, while failing to vaccinate can lead to serious complications in infants and children, even fatal consequences.