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Preparedness of paediatric international travellers departing from A thens, G reece: an 18‐month airport‐based survey
Author(s) -
Maltezou Helena C,
Pavli Androula,
Spilioti Athina,
Patrinos Stavros,
Lymperi Ioanna,
Theodoridou Maria
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.12531
Subject(s) - medicine , travel medicine , vaccination , chemoprophylaxis , pediatrics , preparedness , tropical medicine , family medicine , immunology , pathology , psychiatry , political science , law
Aim The number of children who travel to tropical and subtropical areas has increased. This study aimed to assess the preparedness of children departing from G reece to A frica and A sia, in terms of vaccination and malaria chemoprophylaxis. Methods An 18‐month airport‐based study was conducted in A thens between N ovember 2011 and A pril 2013. Results Of the 183 children studied, 122 (66.7%) had a foreign nationality. Their main destinations were the I ndian subcontinent (43.2%), S outh‐ E ast A sia (30.6%) and sub‐ S aharan A frica (14.2%). Just under three‐quarters (73.2%) of the children were travelling to visit friends and relatives. Forty (21.9%) children had received pretravel services. Children visiting friends and relatives sought pretravel services less frequently than those who were not (17.9% versus 32.7%; p = 0.033). Female children and Greek nationals were significantly more likely to seeking pretravel services than males and foreign nationals (p = 0.007 and <0.001, respectively). The rabies and the typhoid fever vaccines were administered inadequately to children travelling to endemic areas, but malaria chemoprophylaxis was generally justified. Conclusion Travel medicine services for children in Greece should be improved. There is a particular need to communicate with the parents of children visiting friends and relatives.