Euro 2012 chief plays down measles fears

Ukraine’s Euro 2012 tournament director Markiyan Lubkivskyi today downplayed fears over a measles outbreak in the country.

The eastern European nation will host the European Championships for the first time this summer alongside co-hosts Poland, although the pair’s preparations have been beset by issues.

The latest concern revolves around an outbreak of measles in western Ukraine, which the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has predicted will “accelerate and spread” through until June.

The ECDC has urged fans to be inoculated before travelling to Euro 2012 as a result, while the Foreign Office “strongly recommend” fans get vaccinated.

When asked whether the measles outbreak was serious, Lubkivskyi said: “No, I can check this with the Ministry of Health but, to my knowledge, no.

“There are a lot of horror stories coming but this tournament is covered by a lot of rumours from everywhere. My understanding is that this is not true.”