Skopje, 14 February 2024 (MIA) - A total of 28 cases of pertussis, most commonly known as the whooping cough, have been recorded on the territory of Skopje so far, Public Health Center's Lulzime Bajrami told MIA on Wednesday.

A spike in cases prompted the Commission for Infectious Diseases to propose declaring whooping cough epidemic in Skopje. 

Health authorities have been urging citizens for vaccination against pertussis. The vaccine is administered at 2, 4, 6, 18 months and again at the age of 7, which is crucial in preventing the disease from spreading.

Concerned by the growing number of cases of whooping cough in the country and news of measles cases in the region, UNICEF joined local health experts' appeals to parents and caregivers to reach out to their local healthcare facility to catch up on missed vaccinations.

Caretaker Deputy Health Minister Maja Manoleva told reporters on Monday that vaccination sites in health centers are operating in two shifts, including Saturdays. 

"I urge parents to vaccinate their children in the regular vaccination schedule, so that we do not face another wave like this in the future, also for measles and other diseases against which children should be vaccinated in line with the regular immunization calendar," said Manoleva. 

Manoleva also responded to a journalist's question on whether the Ministry has made a claim to the Prosecutor's Office over individuals who share anti-vaccination views on social networks, influencing parents' vaccination decisions. 

"The decline in immunization in the past years, I would say two decades, is perhaps the result of the influence of the media, as well as the growing number of individuals who promote anti-vaxxing, which is not based on evidence-based medicine. Namely, situations like this with the pertussis, and last year with the measles, would really lead to serious consequences for the health of our citizens if we don't continue to increase the immunization rate, and I believe this should make all of us see what we are walking into, when listening to the anti-vaxxers' claims,"  she added. 

As regards the seasonal flu, she noted that over 60,000 people have been vaccinated so far. 

The country sees hospitalized children, as well as adults with pertussis. Health authorities however say that the situation is stable, and compared to other countries in the region no whooping cough related deaths have been reported in North Macedonia. 

Photo: MIA