Ongoing measles outbreak, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, December 2023 to February 2024

Abstract

We report on an ongoing measles outbreak in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 141 cases notified between week 52 2023 and week 6 2024. Among those with known vaccination status, 97% were unvaccinated and the most affected group is children under the age of 5 years (n = 87) who were not vaccinated during the pandemic years. Sixty-eight cases were hospitalised, the most common complications were measles-related pneumonia and diarrhoea. The sequenced measles viruses from four cases belonged to genotype D8. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), has faced challenges in attaining the necessary vaccination coverage to eliminate measles in the past, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a further negative effect on the routine immunisation programme of children and adolescents. We report on the third and still ongoing major measles outbreak in FBiH in the past 10 years which began in the northern region of the country, in Tuzla Canton, in December 2023. As of 12 February 2024, 141 cases of measles have been notified in four of the 10 cantons of FBiH.