Dr. Slavica Maris, epidemiologist from the City Institute of Public Health, revealed that the first case of measles was registered in a 15-year-old boy who was not vaccinated due to health reasons. She stated that the boy most likely contracted measles from his mother, who has the same symptoms and whose results are still pending.
This news comes after the confirmation that a case of measles has been confirmed in a 15-year-old child from Belgrade, who was not vaccinated against measles and was hospitalized for pneumonia at the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases „Prof. Dr. Kosta Todorovic“ on February 6th. The confirmation came from the Institute of Virology, Vaccines, and Sera „Torlak.“
The boy first showed symptoms of measles on January 31st, including fever, sore throat, diarrhea, fatigue, and heaviness in the eyelids. He also had oral changes similar to ulcers, followed by a rash on his face, ears, neck, and later on his body. The child had a typical clinical picture of measles, according to Dr. Maris.
The family recently returned from abroad, and the mother is suspected to be the source of the infection. The child was admitted to the Infectious Disease Clinic, where measles was suspected, as well as pneumonia.
It was also revealed that the mother had identical symptoms that appeared on January 22nd. Their daughter, who was properly vaccinated, did not have any symptoms.
Dr. Slavica Maris highlighted in an interview with TV Prva that due to insufficient vaccination coverage, there is a risk of a resurgence of measles, a warning echoed by other doctors in recent days. She noted that sporadic cases of measles have been registered in Belgrade, and the last major epidemic was in 2018 when there were over 6,000 cases nationwide, with 2,000 in Belgrade. This is the first confirmed case of measles this year.
She emphasized that there is a risk of an epidemic, especially given the low coverage of the first dose of the MMR vaccine. In 2023, only 86% of the population received the second dose of the vaccine, which is inadequate. To achieve herd immunity, a minimum of 95% of the population needs to be fully vaccinated, a target which Serbia is currently far from. Measles epidemics have already been declared in Romania and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This new case of measles in an unvaccinated 15-year-old boy highlights the importance of vaccination to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The public health authorities will likely ramp up efforts to increase vaccination coverage and raise awareness about the importance of vaccination in the coming days.
