Health authorities in Greece are on high alert due to the increased risk of polio infection from refugees from the East who pass the country’s borders.
The disease is found in more and more immigrants and refugees who come from Syria and who are consistently using Greece as a gateway to Europe.
In an effort to stop the disease from entering Europe, the Greek health authorities are launching an operational program for medical records, medical support and vaccination of immigrants in all the detention centers across the country.
“Within the next two months we are planning on setting up clinics of the National Health Operations Centre (EKEPY) in all immigration detention centers, in order to monitor and control incoming population. At this point we are mostly concerned about polio and malaria,” said EKEPY’s president, Panos Efstathiou, during a press conference about the first scientific meeting of European experts to discuss the management of health crises, which will take place on May 9 and 10 in Athens.
According to Panos Efstathiou, polio is being detected in more and more immigrants and refugees who come from Syria because their health system has collapsed due to civil war. “The result is that there aren’t many vaccination programs for people in Syria. So everyone who is under 18 years is considered to be a potential patient.”
“All Syrian immigrants in this age range will be vaccinated as soon as they arrive in Detention Centres” added Efstathiou.
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