North Macedonia records fifth measles case this year as vaccination rate stands at 62%

North Macedonia has recorded its fifth measles case this year. Health Minister Saško Klekovski said the latest infection was in a one-and-a-half-year-old child. Those infected include three young children, a 45-year-old man and a person from Kosovo.

Marija Andonovska, director of the Institute of Public Health (IJZ), said vaccination coverage is only 62 percent and warned of the risk of a new outbreak. She said measles can spread through brief exposure in enclosed spaces, and blamed social media disinformation for undermining trust in vaccines.

Andonovska recalled the 2018-2019 outbreak, when coverage was 74.8 percent but 800 people were hospitalised and four died. Regional figures are also concerning: Kosovo confirmed 242 cases between 16 April and 25 October 2026, 230 of them unvaccinated, while Bulgaria has reported 592 cases since the start of the year.