site.btaMeasles Case Reported in Serbia

One case of measles was confirmed in Serbia last week, local media reported, citing Verica Jovanovic, Director of Serbia's Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut Institute of Public Health.

"One case has been registered in an area where vaccination coverage is low. We therefore appeal to people in Novi Pazar and Tutin, but also in all other areas, including Belgrade, to pay attention to completing the necessary immunisation," Jovanovic told Serbian public broadcaster RTS.

She said every measles case prompts increased vigilance by epidemiological services and stricter epidemiological surveillance.

Children should receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine at the age of one and the second before starting school, Jovanovic said. According to the Institute's data, coverage with the first dose stood at just 73% of the target population last year. Coverage improves subsequently, reaching 91% for the second dose, but the target is 95%.

Jovanovic recalled that Serbia recorded more than 200 measles cases in 2024 and experienced a major outbreak with fatalities in 2017 and 2018.

She also pointed to the measles situation in neighbouring Bulgaria as a potential risk, particularly for people travelling there with young children, and urged travellers to ensure they are adequately protected through vaccination.

A total of 502 measles cases were registered in Bulgaria between the beginning of 2026 and the end of July.