ATHENS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Roma baby, eleven months old, died of complications caused by measles in the Athens Children's Hospital, according to Greek national news agency AMNA.
It is the first casualty of the disease outbreak in Greece, according to the national Centre for the Control and Prevention of Diseases (KEELPNO) which has reported 326 cases this year.
According to information so far, the baby had not been vaccinated, as the National Commission of Vaccination suggests immunization against measles from 15 months old.
According to KEELPNO data, most cases of measles in Greece concern Roma children, and people aged 25-44 who were not properly immunized against the disease.
The average rate of measles cases in Greece stood at about one infection per year for several years.
KEELPNO underlined that since 2016, about 19,000 cases have been reported across Europe, including 45 deaths of complications.
Among possible complications caused by measles are pneumonia and encephalitis, while experts warned the disease is highly contagious, urging for the vaccination of people at risk who have not been vaccinated or have been incompletely vaccinated.
90 percent of minors in Greece is vaccinated against the disease, Health Minister Andreas Xanthos noted recently, adding that the rate drops to 50 percent among Roma children.
In order to avoid a wider epidemic, the authorities have stepped up efforts to vaccinate minors in Roma camps.
