MZD: Call center is starting to work, doctors will call parents of preschool children who are not protected by MMR vaccine

The Ministry of Health (MZD) announced today that the Call Center for Immunization Support and Protection of Children from Infectious Diseases is starting to operate.

"The project "Support for improving the routine immunization system and increasing vaccination coverage in Montenegro" was launched in order to face one of the most important problems of public health - the low vaccination rates of children. Within this project, which is financed by the European Union, the Call Center will scientifically to counteract years of misinformation and misuse of social networks with based and correct information. The goal is for parents to be informed of true and verified facts, and for their fears and questions to receive an adequate answer," the MZD press release points out.

They added that the low percentage of children protected by the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is very worrying, especially in light of the current epidemiological events in the world, the region and neighboring countries.

"Montenegro as a tourist destination is also exposed to increased risk. That is why the Ministry of Health, with the support of UNICEF and the professional support of the Institute for Public Health of Montenegro, decided to launch a call center, available at 020/20-70-80, via to which doctors will invite parents of preschool children who are not protected by this vaccine. They will inform parents about the risks of not vaccinating and the dangers of diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella. At the same time, they will present the benefits of protection through vaccination. They will also answer questions and doubts parents, in a professional but comprehensible way," the MZD statement reads.

From that government department, they announced that teams of selected doctors for children in health centers throughout Montenegro will in the coming period also carry out emergency vaccinations on weekends (in Podgorica, vaccinations will be organized at the point Stara Varoš/Pobrežje), so that children who have not been vaccinated vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, enabled them to be vaccinated as soon as possible.