Most Poles want non-EU nationals to be checked for prior immunisation: survey

Fifteen percent of respondents subscribed to the opposite view, while over one in four had no opinion, a survey by SW Research has shown, according to the Rzeczpospolita daily.

Piotr Zimolzak, from SW Research, said: “The idea is largely backed by people aged between 35 and 49 (62 percent), graduates of elementary and junior high schools (69 percent) and of net income of PLN 1,001 [EUR 232, USD 262] to 2,000 (63 percent).”

“Seventy-one percent of the respondents from cities with a population of 200,000-499,000,” he added.

Polish authorities are considering compulsory vaccinations for non-EU nationals, the Rzeczpospolita said. The policy would apply to both foreign visitors and refugees even in cases where the stay is shorter than three months, Rzeczpospolita added.

Poland’s health ministry said that newcomers may expose people in Poland -- even those vaccinated -- to germs of diseases the likes of tuberculosis and whooping cough, Rzeczpospolita reported. The ministry added that vaccinations administered to Poles in the early years of their life do not guarantee immunity for life, according to Rzeczpospolita.

In recent weeks, a rash of new cases of measles was reported in and around Warsaw, alarming the public and the authorities.

(aba/di)

Source: Rzeczpospolita