Official data highlights the scale of the crisis, with thousands of farms affected and more than 470,000 animals culled. Credit: AMNA

Greece’s PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis rejected the mass vaccination of animals in a government meeting on Tuesday to discuss the country’s response to the ongoing outbreak of goat and sheep pox.

Mitsotakis said that vaccination could aggravate the situation by spreading the disease further instead of containing it, as biosecurity measures have not been followed properly, adding that there is no method to differentiate vaccinated animals from diseased ones.

“We have explained on multiple occasions why vaccination is not the appropriate solution, insofar as we cannot detect or distinguish whether an animal is actually sick or simply vaccinated. Furthermore, the risk of having our exports restricted or banned in European and other markets is obviously immense,” the Greek PM stressed.

Instead, he added, the government will prioritize the existence of more veterinarians in the field by boosting veterinary services with military veterinarians, authorizing private veterinarians and temporary personnel, as well as the utilization of new laboratories.

EU calls for vaccination against sheep and goat pox

Greek authorities plan to continue strict biosecurity measures while assessing whether targeted vaccination could be safely integrated into the national strategy, aiming to protect both livestock and the broader agricultural sector.

Mitsotakis’ comments come after Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said that the European Commission has recommended vaccination as a tool to address goat and sheep pox in Greece.

“Apply the rules. The rules are clear for this disease,” he said. “Infected animals must be culled and vaccines must be used so that the pressure can start to ease,” he added. “I have proposed both. However, it is always the responsibility of each member state.”

Related: Greece Battles Sheep Pox as 470,000 Animals Are Culled