Healthcare authorities in the northeastern town of Bijeljina on Wednesday declared the measles epidemic in that area.

After the neighbouring Tuzla Canton recently declared the epidemic, the Bijeljina Healthcare Institute urged the parents of children aged up to six, who did not get the first dose of the MMR vaccine to schedule an appointment and to get vaccinated unless there are contraindications to the vaccine.

Children aged six and above, who did not get one or both MMR doses, were also invited to get vaccinated.

According to the World Health Organisation, over the past 20 years the number of children vaccinated against measles has decreased.

A total of 74 percent of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina got the second MMR dose in 2000, while in 2022 there were 60 percent of vaccinated children, the WHO said.