Montenegro to urgently boost immunization rates
Simple things such as an SMS, a phone call and an open conversation with a health expert have proven to be effective
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PODGORICA, DECEMBER 27, 2023 – Due to the low immunization rates, most of Montenegro’s young children are at risk of being hospitalized or even death in case of measles or other vaccine preventable disease outbreaks.
Only 56 percent of preschool children have received the vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella this year. Numbers are even lower for the younger generations indicating that less than one in five children have been timely protected from measles in the second year of life.
To improve children’s routine immunization, with support from UNICEF and the EU, Ministry of Health and the Institute for Public Health have implemented numerous interventions including a national immunization campaign across all municipalities during this year which resulted in almost 2,000 more preschool children receiving measles, mumps, and rubella protection during 2023 as opposed to 2022.
Campaign evaluation conducted by Ipsos in November this year on a nationally representative sample of 1,005 parents of children up to 6 years old indicates that this campaign has been successful.
1 in 3 parents received a phone call from the Ministry of Health to vaccinate their child and 1 in 2 did so after discussing with the health expert.
During the last 6 months, more than one quarter of parents of children aged 1-2 years confirmed to have received an SMS from the Institute for Public Health with a birthday message for their child. 1 in 4 parents vaccinated the child after that.
Simple things such as an SMS, a phone call and an open conversation with a health expert have proven to be effective in addressing concerns that a parent may have regarding immunization. UNICEF recommends that national and health institutions continue reaching out to every parent. Listening and talking to them is essential. This is also the best way to strengthen the trust in the health system among families.
When it comes to practices that Montenegro’s parents recommend and prefer, enabling immunizations without prior scheduling is one of them, especially during the weekends.
Pediatricians are the key source of information on immunization for the majority of parents. The most trusted authorities on this issue among parents are the Institute for Children’s diseases, Institute for Public Health, pediatricians from primary health centers, hospitals, and doctors in general. Social media remains as a source of information on immunizations only for some parents, especially the youngest ones aged 18-29. Having in mind the amount of misinformation and fake news circulating on social media, it is important for national and local authorities to promote media literacy so that all parents can learn how to check accuracy of information and how to find credible sources.
UNICEF’s Bebbo app, which guides parents through the various stages of their children’s development from 0 to 6 years, is also an important source of information on immunization. It was introduced in Montenegro in 2022 in partnership with the Institute for Public Health and with support from the EU. As a result, 1 in 2 parents use the Bebbo app. Two thirds find it useful for information about children’s immunization. 9 out of 10 parents recommend Bebbo app to other parents.
