Alenka Kraigher, the Principal of the Centre of the Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Public Health, on Monday explained that during the weekend they were looking for people who had come in contact with the sick nurse; they even engaged the help of the Police: "Only on Sunday more than 150 children and their escorts were treated."

If established that a child or an adult who had come in contact with the nurse had not been vaccinated, or had not received two doses of the vaccine, he was vaccinated. Some individuals with more pronounced risk were also administered Immunoglobulins. Thus on Sunday approximately 60 children and adults were vaccinated against measles.

That's the reason the doctors are once again emphasizing the importance of the high rate of immunisation of the population, which must reach at least 95% - presently the rate of immunisation in our country is less than 94%, and the worst situation is in Ljubljana with less than 90% of vaccinated people. The reliability of vaccination increases after two doses of vaccine.
In our country the children are vaccinated with a combined vaccine protecting against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR, or OMR in Slovenian). The first dose is administered to babies from 12 to 18 months, and the second at the health check before elementary school (at the age of 5-6); usually this vaccination is combined with vaccination against hepatitis B, explains the National Institute of Public Health.

Some children can't receive the vaccination against these three diseases – when a child is sick (not only has a cold, but also has fever), and in such cases the vaccination is postponed. To children who had had a severe allergic reaction or a side effect after previously administered dose of the same vaccine, another dose is not administered. For such children the decision on vaccination is done on a case-by-case basis; doctors decide whether to use another vaccine, or skip vaccination. The Medical director of the Paediatric Clinic Rajko Kenda emphasizes the fact that the only thing protecting these children is "the high enough rate of immunisation of the population ".

T. K. B. Translated by G. K.