Measles rise leads to action
Following a recent rise in the number of children contracting measles, the Health Ministry yesterday issued guidelines for parents about how to immunize their children. The ministry said there has been an increase in cases of measles since last November, particularly in northern Greece where authorities found that a growing number of preschool and nursery schoolchildren have not been inoculated. Ministry officials recommend that infants in northern Greece be given the first shot of their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine once they are 6 months old. Children in the rest of the country should have the dose when they are 12-15 months old. Parents should consult their pediatrician about when their child should be given the second MMR dose. The ministry recommends children be given the second jab, which leaves less than 1 percent of children unprotected, when they are 4-6 years old. Adults under the age of 35 who have not been innoculated should also have the jab, the ministry said.
