Health Update: When holidays mean hayfever

A SPRING holiday on a Greek island may sound tempting - but it should be avoided by those allergic to grass pollen, according to the new European pollen information service. The grass pollen season is already in full swing in the southern Mediterranean; sufferers would be better advised to go later in the year.

The new service has been set up to help hayfever and asthma sufferers to plan holidays in Europe avoiding pollen 'hotspots'. It holds data from 140 monitoring stations in 21 countries - a pollen map covering most of Europe.

Dr Jean Emberlin, who runs the service, says that in parts of continental Europe, where the pollen count is on average two to three times higher than in Britain, holidaymakers allergic to pollen can start suffering the moment they get off the plane. For more information, write enclosing a large SAE to the Pollen Research Unit, University of North London, 166-220 Holloway Road, London N7 8DB.