Measles Vaccination Coverage Is 62 Percent, While Kosovo Has 242 Cases, Bulgaria 592 and Albania 169

The director of the Institute of Public Health, Marija Andonovska, said that vaccination coverage against measles is currently 62 percent and that there is a danger of another epidemic. The statement comes after the confirmation of a fifth case this year, a baby aged one and a half. Yesterday’s text on the portal covered the statements of Minister Klekovski, and this time we look at what the figures and the region show.

North Macedonia. Five cases have been confirmed this year: three young children, a 45-year-old man, all Macedonian citizens, and one person from Kosovo. Andonovska warned that one sick person sitting in a hallway or waiting room is enough to infect others, because measles spreads very easily, even with a brief stay in an enclosed space.

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How much is missing. From coverage of 62 percent to the recommended 95 percent, as the World Health Organization requires, the gap is 33 percentage points (our calculation). That means far more people than the safe level are without protection.

Kosovo. According to the national institute, from April 16 to October 25, 2026 there are 242 confirmed cases, 18 of them in the last week. Of these, 230 had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. That is about 95 percent (our calculation).

Albania and Bulgaria. Albania has 169 recorded cases so far; in June alone 20 laboratory-confirmed out of 27 suspected, and 85 percent of confirmed cases were hospitalised, but the period is not given. Bulgaria, according to its weekly epidemiological bulletin, has reported 592 cases since the start of the year, four of them in the latest week. The figures come from different periods and different methodologies, so they are not fully comparable.

What 2018–2019 shows. The epidemic then occurred at coverage of 74.8 percent, which is 12.8 percentage points higher than today’s (our calculation). Even so it caused 800 hospitalisations and four deaths. The director’s point is that vaccination is necessary even at a coverage higher than today’s.

Disinformation. Andonovska said that on social media there are many negative comments accusing the Institute of being paid and offering unfounded reasons for not vaccinating. She urges people to rely on verified information. According to her, the warning was also given last summer.

What has not been published. A breakdown of coverage by municipality has not been published, nor how many of the cases were hospitalised. It is also not clear when and by what criteria an epidemic would be declared. Minister Klekovski said that forced measures are not a solution. Parents with questions about vaccinating their children should turn to their paediatrician.

MKNews Hub · Macedonia · November 5, 2026