Below the safety threshold: Immunization in Prilep records low figures, authorities warn

The Public Health Center has raised concerns that the Prilep region continues to have a low vaccination rate, remaining below the national target. Although local indicators are better than the countrywide average, which stands at around 62 percent, they do not reach the necessary threshold of 95 percent to ensure herd immunity.

According to public health experts, a shortage of medical staff, reduced hours for field teams and low levels of parental awareness are among the main causes of this situation. In the case of the MMR vaccine, the challenge is not so much open opposition as repeated delays in receiving the scheduled doses.

To address this worrying situation, epidemiologists stress the need to reform the legal framework, strengthen the role of the family doctor and wage a determined fight against misinformation. They emphasize that immunization is not merely an individual family decision, but an essential act for collectively protecting society against epidemic outbreaks.