A new controversy has emerged over Greece’s management of the ongoing sheep pox outbreak, after it was revealed that an approved vaccine is available in the European Union — but the Greek authorities never applied to obtain it.
The revelation came from Dimitris Kouretas, Governor of Thessaly, during an interview on the morning television program Koinonia Ora MEGA. He stated that a licensed sheep pox vaccine exists in Belgium, yet the Ministry of Rural Development and Food failed to submit a request to the European Commission to secure doses.
According to Kouretas, when EU experts visited Greece in May, they recommended that the government consider a targeted vaccination programme in areas where infections had been detected, rather than a blanket nationwide effort. “They had available 500,000 safe and effective doses,” he said, citing emails sent to Greek Members of the European Parliament in September. “But to access them, a country must file an official request — which Greece never did.”
The revelation follows earlier reports that illegal sheep pox vaccines had entered Greece from countries such as Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt, highlighting the growing desperation among livestock owners struggling to protect their flocks.
Third outbreak feared
Kouretas warned that Greece is facing a third and potentially more severe wave of the disease in the coming months. “In the first wave, 30,000 to 40,000 animals were culled,” he said. “In the second, the number rose to 350,000. Imagine what will happen in the spring if no measures are taken.”
The regional governor urged the government to act immediately and implement a vaccination plan to prevent further devastation of the agricultural sector, particularly in regions already hit hard by previous outbreaks.
The sheep pox virus, which affects sheep and goats but poses no risk to humans, has caused major economic losses for Greek farmers and threatens to disrupt the livestock industry if not contained.
The Ministry of Rural Development has not yet commented on the claims.
