title: The impact of war on vaccine preventable diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which lasted from 1992-1995, the functioning of all sectors was disturbed, including the health sector. The priority of the heath sector was treatment and less attention was paid to prevention, and this applies also to the Program of implementation of obligatory immunization, as one of the most important prevention measures. This program was conducted with difficulty and sometimes was completely interrupted because of the lack of necessary vaccines and the inability of adequate maintenance of the cold chain. It was difficult and sometimes completely impossible to bring children to vaccination. Because of these problems, a great number of children stayed unvaccinated so they suffered from vaccine-preventable diseases several years after the war.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective epidemiological study. We analyzed data from January 1994 to July 2014 in Canton Sarajevo, and data about measles outbreak in 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the period from January 1994 to July 2014, 3897 vaccine-preventable diseases were registered in Canton Sarajevo. Among them measles, rubella and mumps were the most frequent. In March 2014, measles outbreak was registered. Almost all cases are unvaccinated (99%) and 43% of all cases are connected with failure of vaccination during the war.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the war, routine immunization program was disrupted in Bosnia and Herzegovina (also in Canton Sarajevo). The consequences are presented as vaccine preventable diseases cases.
authors: Institute for Public Health of Canton Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina ; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Zarema
authors: Z
authors: Obradovic
authors: Institute for Public Health of Canton Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Snjezana
authors: S
authors: Balta
authors: Institute for Public Health of Canton Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Amina
authors: A
authors: Obradovic
authors: Institute for Public Health of Canton Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors: Salih
authors: S
authors: Mesic
keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina; immunization; war