Skopje, 27 April 2024 (MIA) – The country sees rise in vaccinated children, but still below 95% recommended threshold, it was highlighted during the event marking the European Immunization Week (EIW) in Skopje’s City Park under the theme 'Protecting Generations.'

The Ministry of Health highlights that measures and activities have been taken to enhance the coverage and accessibility of immunization.

For the first time, a field vaccination campaign is being implemented, involving all 34 healthcare centers. Teams of nurses and doctors will conduct field vaccinations and visit around three thousand families with unvaccinated children, focusing on vaccines that protect against whooping cough and measles.

Parents are urged to vaccinate their children because, as emphasized, only in this way can we achieve herd immunity. Vaccines are safe, they say, and protect against the most severe diseases.

“The focus is on vaccination containing a pertussis component, especially due to the current situation of increased pertussis cases. Additionally, the MMR vaccine is highlighted as it deals with a highly contagious disease, and unfortunately, we are far from reaching the required coverage at the national level,” Branka Velichkovska Teneva from the Ministry of Health said.

Patrizia DiGiovanni, the UNICEF Representative to the Republic of North Macedonia, highlighted that the country is regressing in immunization. Thirty years ago, immunization coverage was at 95 percent, and, as she states, it is best to return to that level of vaccination.

"The greatest enemies are false information and disinformation, so I urge you to listen to scientists," DiGiovanni said.

She noted that this initiative is very important and that it is crucial for parents to realize the importance of immunization.

"Immunization continues to stand as one of humanity's inventions for safeguarding health. By immunizing children, we shield them from the worst-case scenario of death, protect them from significant disabilities, which are equally undesirable, and in the worst-case scenario, they may contract a disease and struggle significantly with illness," she added.

EU Ambassador David Geer stated that for over 50 years, the vaccines he received as a child have protected him, and immunization is one of humanity's greatest achievements. However, there is currently a lot of misinformation against which we need to fight.

“What we primarily need is education, along with events like this one, for the accessibility of immunization. This way, we can help increase vaccination rates across the country. When this doesn't happen, you see the consequences on the emergence of diseases that shouldn't exist in the country,” Geer said.

The event to mark the European Immunization Week was organized by the Ministry of Health, together with the Institute of Public Health, WHO, and UNICEF, supported by USAID and the EU.