Sasho Klekovski: Suspected measles case detected, vaccination remains the best protection
A child over one year is a suspected measles case; minister says there are vaccine stocks and denies any instruction to schools to request certificates.
Health Minister Sasho Klekovski announced a suspected measles case in the country and said laboratory tests are still pending.
The suspicious case involves a child older than one year. So far there have been five confirmed measles cases in the country — four involving Macedonian citizens and one a foreign national — and authorities are conducting epidemiological work to identify and notify contacts.
Vaccines available, ministry denies issuing checks to schools
Speaking after a visit to the Dental Clinical Center in Skopje, Klekovski said vaccine uptake has increased and that the country has sufficient stocks. “I know that we have an increased level of vaccination. We have enough vaccine supplies, so I think that at the beginning we had about 15,000, there are other available quantities,” he said.
Klekovski denied that the Ministry of Health or any other health authority had sent guidance to the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy asking them to require vaccination certificates.
He appealed directly to parents and stressed that vaccination is voluntary while warning against misinformation from anti-vaccination groups. “No part of the health authorities has sent a recommendation to the other relevant institutions, we are talking about education about not admitting children. Our appeal is to parents that by not vaccinating they expose their own children, infants, to risk. I emphasize the voluntary nature in order to avoid the moments of the existing groups of anti-vaxxers who think that this is again some conspiracy to force parents to vaccinate their children. There is no conspiracy. My children were vaccinated when it was time for them to be vaccinated, not afterwards. I appeal to all parents: there is no better protection against measles than vaccination. All of us together as a society should get involved with clear will that this is the only way to prevent an epidemic and that we should all take a step toward that. There is no need to threaten, to force, to falsify certificates and what else is done,” Klekovski added.
Authorities said they will continue contact tracing and laboratory confirmation for the suspected case while urging parents to vaccinate children to prevent further spread.
Photo: press material from the event
