A seroprevalence study of poliovirus antibody in the population of northern Greece

This study assessed immunity to poliomyelitis in a representative sample of 1064 persons living in northern Greece. Antibody prevalences in the individuals tested were 91.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 89.4-92.8), 92.1% (95% CI: 90.5-93.7) and 83.1% (95% CI: 80.8-85.4) for poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3, respectively. For poliovirus type 3, a gap in immunity was found in individuals aged 10-29 years. Re-vaccination of adolescents living in northern Greece is suggested to ensure herd immunity and to minimise the risk of importation of wild poliovirus from endemic countries.