Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.iede.co.uk/news/2013_2328/polio-fear-europe’s-door
Polio Fear at Europe?s Door
Friday, June 28, 2013 - 07:40Inter Press Service
KIEV, Jun 28 (IPS) - The Ukraine is facing a ?real threat? of a return of polio as well as outbreaks of other serious diseases such as mumps, rubella and measles because of a combination of state inefficiency and public mistrust of vaccinations, health experts have said.
The country has one of the lowest vaccine coverage rates in Europe, especially among children, and cases of some preventable diseases have soared in recent years.
International health officials say they are working with the Ukrainian authorities to improve immunisation rates, but fear that there could be major disease outbreaks in the future and lives endangered unless progress is made on raising vaccination rates.
?There is a very real risk that polio could return and that there could be outbreaks of other disease, such as mumps and rubella. Unless coverage, which is now at a 20-year low in the Ukraine, is improved we can only expect further outbreaks in the future,? Dr Dorit Nitzan, World Health Organisation representative in the Ukraine, told IPS...
Polio Fear at Europe?s Door
Friday, June 28, 2013 - 07:40Inter Press Service
KIEV, Jun 28 (IPS) - The Ukraine is facing a ?real threat? of a return of polio as well as outbreaks of other serious diseases such as mumps, rubella and measles because of a combination of state inefficiency and public mistrust of vaccinations, health experts have said.
The country has one of the lowest vaccine coverage rates in Europe, especially among children, and cases of some preventable diseases have soared in recent years.
International health officials say they are working with the Ukrainian authorities to improve immunisation rates, but fear that there could be major disease outbreaks in the future and lives endangered unless progress is made on raising vaccination rates.
?There is a very real risk that polio could return and that there could be outbreaks of other disease, such as mumps and rubella. Unless coverage, which is now at a 20-year low in the Ukraine, is improved we can only expect further outbreaks in the future,? Dr Dorit Nitzan, World Health Organisation representative in the Ukraine, told IPS...