Martinović: A child infected with smallpox was in Sarajevo at a sports competition with about 60 children

The head of the Center for Immunoprophylaxis at the Institute of Public Health, Adis Martinović, said at a press conference that a child with smallpox was with about 60 other children in Sarajevo on March 9 and 10 for a sports competition, and that the first symptoms, i.e. a high temperature, reported on March 22.

He said that after three or four days, the child developed a rash and that it was serologically determined that the child had measles.

Martinović said that the pediatric service and hygiene-epidemiological service from Bar took all measures to investigate the closest contacts.

Answering the questions of "Vijesti", he said that the child was not hospitalized, that the closest contacts were also under observation and that the family members had no symptoms.

He also said that contact monitoring does not mean self-isolation, and that they will be isolated in case symptoms of the disease appear.

Director of the Institute for Public Health Dragan Laušević assessed that the sick child was isolated in time.

Laušević said that children most often get sick from measles.

"There is also a dilemma regarding the MMR vaccine, which parents delay giving to their child, while a number of parents refuse to vaccinate their child, even though it is mandatory by law. We are in a situation where we are throwing away a large number of vaccines because they expire just because the children are not vaccinated ", Laušević pointed out.

He said that in 2022 and 2023, there was almost no country in Europe that did not record cases of measles. He said that about 1.000 patients were registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, most in Sarajevo, and 40 patients in Serbia.

He said that it was only a matter of time when smallpox would appear in Montenegro, pointing out that the best preventive measure is vaccination, and that the vaccine is safe, effective and has been used for 60 years.

He said that vaccination protects not only children, but also adults.

According to IJZ data, only 22,33 percent of children born in 2022 received the first dose of measles vaccine.