Greece under threat of measles epidemic

Greece is currently experiencing high rates of measles, which threatens to become an epidemic that spreads throughout the country according to the Hellenic Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (HCDCP).

Speaking to Greek media about the threat, Professor Takis Panagiotopoulos from the HCDCP said that 90 of the first 100 cases of the disease recorded affected Greek nationals, indicating that the disease had not resurfaced as a result of migrants entering the country.

According to Panagiotopoulos the most effective protection against catching the measles, which was a disease with potentially serious complications that could even prove fatal, was the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella.

This advice was not limited to children only but also any adults born after 1970 who had not had the measles and might need booster shots, he said.

"Measles is a potentially serious disease. The HCDCP is systematically following the course of the epidemiological situation in Greece and worldwide, gauging the facts and may possibly, depending on how things develop, recommend additional measures," he said.

Among possible complications caused by measles were ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis and many other serious and sometimes fatal problems, he added, while the disease was highly contagious.

He especially advised the need to debunk groundless rumours about the supposed risks of vaccines and inform parents and the public about the importance and safety of immunisation programmes.