More than 500 Sarajevo Canton residents were infected with measles since the beginning of the year, 80 this week only, the Public Healthcare Institute said on Tuesday.

Most of the infected are children aged between two and five, followed by the children aged two years and younger.

According to the institute, immunization in Sarajevo Canton is significantly lower than necessary to reach the collective immunity with a dramatic drop in the MMR vaccination in recent years.

Among the infected persons, 477 did not undergo the MMR vaccination.

The institute said the reason why the percentage of the vaccinated children significantly dropped is not the lack of vaccines but rejection of some parents to vaccinate their children although the immunization is mandatory.

In March this year, measles epidemic claimed the life of a seven-month-old baby, the authorities reported.