{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T01:25:24Z","timestamp":1778549124621,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]],"date-time":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1751241600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Vaccines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Despite ongoing global elimination efforts, measles remains a persistent public health threat. Methods: This retrospective observational study examines trends in crude measles incidence and vaccination coverage from 1948 to 2024 in the northern region of Serbia\u2014Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (AP Vojvodina)\u2014which accounts for 26.9% of the national population. This study further explores measles vaccination coverage across the province\u2019s seven districts, along with the number of reported measles cases, age distribution, and vaccination status of affected individuals from 2000 to 2024. Data were obtained from official annual immunization records maintained by public health institutions within the framework of Serbia\u2019s national mandatory immunization program. Results: A notable resurgence of measles occurred in Serbia during 2017\u20132018, following a decline in vaccination coverage. In AP Vojvodina, outbreaks were recorded in 2007, 2014\u20132015, and 2017\u20132018, predominantly affecting unvaccinated children and adults aged 20\u201339 years. Since 2019, the measles incidence has significantly declined. During the 2018 outbreak, the highest incidence was observed among children aged 1\u20134 years (40.6 per 100,000), followed by infants under 1 year (17.3 per 100,000) and adults aged 20\u201339 years (12.5 per 100,000). An analysis of the data from 2000 to 2024 revealed substantial age- and dose-related differences in measles incidence, particularly among unvaccinated individuals, those who had received one or two doses of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV), and those with unknown vaccination status. During the 2017\u20132018 epidemic, unvaccinated children under 1 year and those aged 1\u20134 years were the most affected. A marked increase in cases among single-dose recipients was noted in 2018, especially in adults aged 20\u201339 years (9.5%) and those \u226540 years (13.5%). A considerable proportion of measles cases in these age groups had unknown vaccination status: 33.1% among individuals aged 20\u201339 years and 18.2% among those aged \u2265 40 years. Epidemiological investigation linked the 2007 and 2014\u20132015 outbreaks in AP Vojvodina to importations from Bosnia and Herzegovina. No specific source was identified for the 2017\u20132018 outbreak, suggesting possible endemic transmission. Conclusions: These findings underscore the impact of fluctuating vaccination coverage on measles resurgence. Sustaining high two-dose MCV coverage, strengthening routine immunization programs, enhancing surveillance systems, and ensuring timely outbreak preparedness are critical measures for achieving effective measles control.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines13070711","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,1]],"date-time":"2025-07-01T07:42:06Z","timestamp":1751355726000},"page":"711","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Measles Epidemiology and Coverage of Immunization Against Measles in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia: Local Trends in a Regional Context"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6923-189X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mioljub","family":"Risti\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Svetlana","family":"Ili\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Smiljana","family":"Raj\u010devi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1532-5548","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mirjana","family":"\u0160trbac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sne\u017eana","family":"Medi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tatjana","family":"Pustahija","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9561-7825","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vladimir","family":"Vukovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marko","family":"Koprivica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gorana","family":"Dragovac","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vladimir","family":"Petrovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2025, June 01). 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