We are on the frontline of the epidemiological front

Dr Barbara Czech-Szczapa, epidemiologist, Head of the Epidemiology Laboratory at the Medical University of Poznań:

• Poland, as a border country, is on the front line of the EU epidemiological front.
• Russia's armed attack on Ukraine, the difficult humanitarian situation in the areas covered by the fight and the refugee crisis are a challenge, among others in terms of preventing outbreaks.
• Significant differences in the epidemiological situation between the EU countries and Ukraine and the growing importance of anti-vaccine movements mean that we must prepare ourselves for diseases such as measles, whooping cough, polio, tuberculosis - including drug-resistant or diphtheria.
• The challenge faced by the Polish health care system is to tighten the epidemiological surveillance and vaccination system.
• Getting the knowledge and convincing patients to vaccinate is a difficult task, but at the same time the only way to prevent the occurrence of many life and health-threatening diseases.