Displaced persons arriving from Ukraine may be more vulnerable to illnesses such as COVID-19, measles, and polio because of Ukraine’s variable vaccination coverage which is insufficient to prevent outbreaks. Additionally, the burden of chronic infectious disease such as tuberculosis (including multi-drug resistant tuberculosis), HIV and viral hepatitis is high in the population of Ukraine.
Any health professionals and humanitarian aid providers should ensure they are up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK. These vaccinations include for example measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine.
Health professionals should ensure that people travelling to areas affected by or close to this humanitarian crisis are offered appropriate pre-travel country specific travel advice, and signpost to the FCDO for information on personal security.