Serbia among the worst hit by measles in Europe

Record ID: 1354606

  • Title: Serbia among the worst hit by measles in Europe
  • Date: 3rd September 2018
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2018) (REUTERS) NURSE PREPARING BABY FOR VACCINATION MOTHERS TENDING TO CHILDREN ON EXAMINATION TABLES FEET OF BABY GIRL BABY GIRL CRYING AS MOTHER HOLDS HER LEGS AND NURSE VACCINATES HER MOTHER HOLDING AND CONSOLING BABY BELGRADE, SERBIA (AUGUST 30, 2018) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN WAITING IN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL DECORATION HANGING FROM CEILING IMMUNOLOGIST, DOCTOR SRDJAN JANKOVIC, BEHIND MICROSCOPE JANKOVIC'S HANDS USING MICROSCOPE (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) IMMUNOLOGIST, DOCTOR SRDJAN JANKOVIC, SAYING: "The main factor is a decrease in active immunization, that is a decline of people having the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine. Many parents believe allegations that that vaccine is more dangerous than the diseases it protects against and that it can cause autism." JANKOVIC'S EYES (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) IMMUNOLOGIST, DOCTOR SRDJAN JANKOVIC, SAYING: "If we lose that important platform of public health, created by active immunization, we'll return to an era when infectious diseases took a horrendous, now unimaginable toll on human lives." MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MEDICAL TEST TUBES PEOPLE IN WAITING ROOM AT INFECTIOUS DISEASE CENTRE (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) HEAD OF BELGRADE CLINIC FOR INFECTIOUS AND TROPICAL DISEASES, GORAN STEVANOVIC, SAYING: "Because historical infectious diseases, such as measles, were efficiently prevented by vaccination, they were absent for a very long time. As a result, we relaxed, and the general population began thinking that the vaccination was perhaps not necessary, so the uptake in vaccinations dropped, which means the number of the vaccinated population declined and with that we lost protection." STEVANOVIC'S EYES (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) HEAD OF BELGRADE CLINIC FOR INFECTIOUS AND TROPICAL DISEASES, GORAN STEVANOVIC, SAYING: "The season (of measles) practically begins with the school year and the cold weather. The morbilli virus is highly vulnerable to the environment. If it doesn't find a host within an hour or two, it dies. It is vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, which means that outside, it can't survive." VARIOUS OF CLINIC HALLWAY (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) PSYCHIATRIST, JOVANA STOJKOVIC, SAYING: "The numbers of people having the MMR vaccination in Serbia started declining in 2012, as a results of parent's fears that something was wrong with the vaccine. Parent's personal experiences and other vaccines contributed to this, along with an irresponsible position by the state and institutions relating to concerns of those parents." PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN IN CLINIC HALLWAY POSTER OF WOMAN WITH BABY EXTERIOR OF BELGRADE UNIVERSITY CHILDREN'S CLINIC SIGN ON HOSPITAL WALL, READING (Serbian): "UNIVERSITY CHILDREN'S CLINIC" (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) ANTI-VACCINATION ACTIVIST, DUSAN STOJKOVIC, SAYING: "Do you understand? That is why we're against it. Simply put, a man must have the right to decide freely." STOJKOVIC TALKING WITH REPORTER
  • Embargoed: 17th September 2018 13:18
  • Keywords: Serbia measles health diseases
  • Location: BELGRADE, SERBIA
  • City: BELGRADE, SERBIA
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA0018W2OQ49
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed Serbia as one of the countries worst hit by measles in Europe.
    With 14 fatalities and 5,718 cases of the disease registered in Serbia between October 2017 and August 2018 according to the country's Public Health Institute, officials have launched a campaign to increase public trust in immunization.
    Doctors have warned that the start of the school year and the onset of colder weather could bring about an increase in the number of cases and underscored the importance of getting every child vaccinated on time.
    Due to controversies over suspected side-effects of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination has led to hesitancy among parents and some family doctors making people turn down potentially life-saving vaccines.
    Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through direct contact and through the air. It can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine, but due to immunization gaps remains one of the biggest killers of children worldwide.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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