As soon as the epidemic appears, such as a recent epidemic of measles, people run away from being saved. Until it is a crisis, they look at it casually, believing that it can’t happen to their child, Cerkez said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the final workshop within the joint project of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union aimed at strengthening immunization in the Western Balkans.
Importance of immunization
The workshop brought together representatives of health institutions from the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District. Key activities were presented through the project, which was focused on the implementation of vaccination against Covid-19 and the construction of long-term resistance of the system of routine immunization in BiH. Participants also discussed future plans to strengthen immunization in the country.
Stela Stojisavljević, Disease Control Office in the Office of the World Health Organization in BiH, confirmed the information that immunization was not implemented in the extent in the Western Balkans.
– This also proves the information that the World Health Organization has collected from health partners in BiH. For example, the coverage of the MMR vaccine is 69 percent, and it is well known that 95 percent of immunization is necessary for collective immunity. Some other vaccines, such as DTP or hepatitis B, also have lower coverage than the one needed for collective immunity. Of course, the lack of collective immunity means a greater ability to prevent diseases that can be prevented by vaccination, as we have had the opportunity to see last year during the Great Episoca epidemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which unfortunately ended with two deaths – said Stojisavljevic.
In order to avoid all this in the future, the World Health Organization Office will continue to support health partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and all with the aim of increasing vaccination coverage.
– Our common goal is that no child remains without vaccine, and that those who are the most vulnerable are protected by enabling the creation of collective immunity. We are working on strengthening the immunization system in terms of education, guides and guidelines that are needed by the Cold Chain, that non-immunization staff is established and that they do not have any questions about whether what is done for sure for their child, Because it is safer to be vaccinated than being exposed to a contagious disease that can be prevented – she explained.
She added that all vaccines that enter BiH are controlled, correct and from manufacturers used in EU countries.
Let’s prevent epidemics
The representative of the BiH Ministry of Health, Goran Cherkez, is satisfied with the current situation in BiH when it comes to immunization, but emphasizes that it can be much better.
– Not only can it be better, it should be better. However, there are many factors that affect the immunization process itself. This does not depend on the health system only, it is part of the social responsibility issues, the engagement of the entire communities for something that is useful for each child. Large changes occur in the world that have an impact on our country, so that the decline in immunization was unexpected. It warns us that we must increase the level of immunization because we must not allow the diseases to return that long-rooted – said Cerkez.
Stresses that a great job has been done when it comes to providing conditions in which vaccines are kept, writes Evening.ba
– The entire cold chain in the Federation of BiH is renewed. Vaccines are safe, we follow the temperatures, cars are provided for their transportation and now let’s move on. When it comes to the education of the population, the media play an important role as we need to spread proven, scientifically proven facts and prevent untruths that spread through the internet and social networks – it underlined.
Cerkez said that there should be no room for anti-identical in the health system because we should be aware that vaccines are the only reason and probably the greatest scientific achievement in the field of health, thanks to which the most dangerous diseases are eradicated. He added that the increase in immunization levels in BiH is noticeable, because after the large epidemics, people react with vaccination.
– As soon as an epidemic occurs, like a recent epidemic of measles, people are running to save. Until the crisis, they look at it casually, believing that this cannot happen to their child. But now we have an example of a Zenica-Doboj Canton, which shows the jump in immunization after this epidemic. I am not for any forced vaccination, but I am to raise awareness so that people really understand the importance of immunization – he concluded Cerkez.
