THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON VACCINATION COVERAGE WITH THE MMR VACCINE

Abstract

. Introduction. Rubella is a viral disease caused by the rubella virus. Together with measles and varicella, it belongs to the group of febrile rashes. Although the clinical course is mild in both children and adults, infection during pregnancy can lead to serious congenital malformations in the fetus. The consequences of such an infection can be blindness, deafness, heart defects in newborns, but also stillbirths. Vaccination against rubella is crucial in medicine and is important for controlling and eradicating the disease. The vaccine mandatorily administered to children in the Republic of Serbia according to the vaccination calendar is the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine is a live virus vaccine that is administered to infants after the age of one, i.e., in the second year of life. The booster vaccination is given in the seventh year of life before entering elementary school. Regular vaccinations against this disease are carried out worldwide. This research aimed to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rubella vaccination rate by following trends in immunization before, during, and after the pandemic. Research Methodology. The research is conducted by analyzing data from official health sources and the immunization database from health institutions and institutions in the period 2014 - 2024 for the territory of the Šumadija District. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze annual vaccination rates and comparative analysis before, during, and after the Coronavirus pandemic. Results and Discussion. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a different organization in the functioning of the health system, especially primary health care. All of this affected the coverage of vaccinations against infectious diseases, which are legally mandatory according to the vaccination calendar in our country. The analysis of statistically processed data showed a significant drop in the MMR vaccination rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, vaccination coverage in the territory of Šumadija District was more than 95%, so immunization with the MMR vaccine was successfully carried out. During and immediately after the Coronavirus pandemic, vaccination coverage was drastically reduced, and it was observed that the COVID-19 pandemic harmed the mandatory vaccination that is applied in our country. Conclusion. It is important to implement a strategy for compensating for missed vaccines through population education and strengthening immunization systems and programs to increase collective immunity and reduce the possibility of rubella epidemics.