Fifth Measles Case in Macedonia: A Baby Aged One and a Half Is Infected, and the WHO Calls for 95 Percent Vaccination

Health Minister Sasho Klekovski confirmed on November 3 a fifth case of measles in Macedonia. It involves a baby aged one and a half. According to reports, five cases have been confirmed so far: three babies, a 45-year-old man from Macedonia and a citizen of Kosovo.

What is linked. Klekovski said there is a preliminary link between the case in the foreign citizen and the three domestic cases. Final confirmation awaits the epidemiological analysis by the Institute of Public Health. This is an important distinction: the link is an assumption until the analysis is complete.

Реклама

What the minister said. The virus is highly contagious and can stay in the air for up to two hours, so waiting rooms and corridors are a particular risk. Babies under 12 months cannot yet be vaccinated. Citizens should check whether they received two doses of the vaccine or have already had the disease. Parents of children with symptoms should not take them to kindergarten or school but first call a doctor.

No forced measures. Klekovski also said forced measures are not a solution and could create additional resistance to immunisation. That is a clear position: for now the state relies on appeal, not on compulsion.

What the WHO says. The representative of the World Health Organization, Dr Akim Ali, said the target is vaccination coverage of 95 percent, which is what is needed to protect the population. He specifically mentioned pregnant women, because infection can cause congenital malformations.

Figures we did not confirm. The brief lists about 15,000 babies up to 12 months at risk and 14,000 vaccines in stock, according to earlier announcements. We could not confirm them in the sources we read, so we flag them as unverified. An older text on a media outlet that appeared as related to the news mentions that only 62 percent of children are vaccinated, but that text is about two months old and we did not check it, so we do not treat it as a figure.

Why babies. They are the most vulnerable because they are too young for the vaccine, yet exposed in the family and in health facilities. Their protection comes from how well those around them are vaccinated. That is the explanation behind the 95 percent appeal: at such coverage the virus spreads with difficulty and protects those who cannot be vaccinated.

What is not known. It has not been published how many cases were hospitalised and how severe they are, nor what vaccination rates are by municipality. It is not clear whether and when an epidemic would be declared. Practical advice from official sources is to check vaccination records and, with symptoms, first phone a doctor so as not to infect the waiting room.

MKNews Hub · Macedonia · November 4, 2026