By Gillian Tsoi

Football fans are being warned to get vaccinated against measles and polio before travelling to Poland and Ukraine for the European Football Championship.

According to the World Health Organization, there were over 31,000 cases of measles reported in the European Region in 2011. Deaths caused by the disease have occurred in adolescents and adults.

The UEFA championship, for which Ireland has qualified, kicks off in Warsaw on June 8.

The WHO has made a health pamphlet available to sports punters ahead of the championship. The leaflet warns: "Ensure all your routine travel vaccinations are up-to-date. Measles and polio are especially important."

It continues: "If you are between 15 and 29 and not vaccinated or immune, you are particularly at risk."

"It is very strongly recommended that you are vaccinated against measles and rubella in sufficient time before you travel to EURO 2012. If you are not, you risk being infected, and you may spread measles to others."

Measles and polio are highly contagious viral diseases that affect mostly children.

Measles is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. This is followed by the development of a rash, starting on the face and neck and gradually spreading downwards.

There is no specific treatment for measles and most people recover within two to three weeks. However, the disease can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia.

Polio invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs.

One in 200 polio infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

In addition to polio and measles, the WHO is also advising sports punters, who may have a chronic disease, a weakened immune system, be pregnant or elderly, to make flu vaccinations an important priority.

For information and advice on being vaccinated, consult your doctor.

Find out more about travel health here