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UEFA European Football Championship: Poland and Ukraine

27 Mar 2012

The UEFA European football championship kicks off in Warsaw (Poland) on 8th June 2012 and has its final in Kyiv (Kiev - Ukraine) on 1ST July.

EUFA / EURO 2012 organisers in conjunction with the World Health Organization, and the Ministry of Health for Poland and Ukraine, have produced a very useful leaflet on health advice for those intending to travel to the championship.

Main Points of Health Advice for Travellers Attending

  • See your doctor 4 – 6 weeks before you go.
    There are some vaccine recommendations for travellers going to Poland and Ukraine and your doctor or nurse can best advise what is suitable for you. Be sure to allow enough time for vaccination, ideally 4 – 6 weeks before you want to travel.
  • Measles.
    There were over 31 000 cases of measles in Europe during 2011 and there have been recent outbreaks reported in Ukraine. Measles can be transmitted in a crowd situation and the only way to protect yourself is through vaccination. Remember that measles can be a serious illness and you could pass it on to others if you become infected. If you are between 15 – 29 and you don’t remember having measles infection or being vaccinated, you will likely need two doses of MMR vaccine one month apart (your doctor or nurse can advise and arrange this for you).
  • Travel Insurance
    It is of paramount importance to be sure that you are prepared for the worst case scenario as no matter how careful you are, accidents can happen. Obtain a valid European Insurance Card. This is useful as it will provide cover for many medical services in Poland – it will not provide cover for all services however, and is not valid in Ukraine, so additional travel insurance is strongly recommended 
  • Travellers’ Diarrhoea.
    Take some sensible precautions to avoid diarrhoea: ensure that water you drink is safe, if you are not sure drink bottled water; ideally eat food that is properly cooked and form clean establishments; if you do get diarrhoea you need to maintain an adequate fluid intake to avoid dehydration; if diarrhoea is persistent, seek advice from a pharmacy or medical centre. Further advice can be found on food and water precautions and travellers’ diarrhoea.
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections
    Unprotected sexual intercourse is risky for all sexually transmitted infections including hepatitis B and HIV. High profile events such as this attract sex workers who are at high risk of STIs – it is not always obvious that a potential sexual partner is a sex worker. Don’t take any chances, carry condoms with you and make sure you use condoms properly (male and female).

Further information for travellers