The rate of vaccinated children in Bosnia and Herzegovina has decreased in recent years, so that only 58.04 percent received the first dose of the measles vaccine, and 52.01 percent the first booster dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and polio (DTP) vaccine, it was reported from Offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The rate of vaccinated children in BiH is significantly below the recommended 90 to 95 percent.
Commemoration of the Expanded Program on Immunization, a global initiative launched in 1974 to extend the benefits of essential vaccines recommended by the World Health Organization, begins during this year’s European Immunization Week.
The special representative of the Office of the World Health Organization for BiH, Ervin Koreman, said that vaccines remain the strongest tool against serious diseases that sometimes have a fatal outcome, caused by infectious diseases.
“Countries are committed to achieving vaccination rates of 90 to 95 percent to protect their populations by formulating comprehensive immunization policies and tailoring services to the needs of individuals and communities. The World Health Organization will continue to support these efforts for the benefit of us all,” Koreman said.
The Office of the World Health Organization in BiH, in cooperation with UNICEF and with the support of the European Union and USAID, continuously assists the health authorities in the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District in the improvement and implementation of regular immunization programs and in the introduction of a new vaccine against of HPV.
The Office of the World Health Organization for Bosnia and Herzegovina supported the program of compensation for missed vaccine doses, which benefited more than 7,000 children aged one to seven years who received one of the missed doses, according to the announcement.
