BELGRADE, Jan 31, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - At least four children have died in a whooping cough outbreak in the Serbian capital Belgrade, state media said Wednesday, with doctors blaming falling vaccinations for the spread.

A fifth child is in a critical condition after contracting the respiratory illness, Vladislav Vukomanovic, the deputy head of a Belgrade paediatric hospital, told broadcaster RTS. 

The doctor said around 70 children have been diagnosed, with two thirds requiring hospitalisation. 

Vukomanovic blamed a lack of vaccination, including among older adults, for the current spread. 

Vaccination against whooping cough is mandatory in Serbia. However, a rising number of parents are refusing to vaccinate their children, leading to periodic outbreaks across the region.

Neighbouring Croatia has also struggled to contain a whooping cough epidemic that health officials said resulted in a drop in inoculation rates linked to the anti-vaccine movement.