Let’s Talk About the Polio Travel Warning From the CDC
This is not a new warning, it's just one that has been ignored for far too long.
A lot of people are talking about the travel health warning concerning polio from the CDC.
Should you be concerned?
Let’s Talk About the Polio Travel Warning From the CDC
Were you concerned when the warning was first issued in 2022?
Or in 2014?
Yeah, that’s right.
The rise in polio is something that has been going on for more than a few years now and something that is just finally starting to get some attention.
“The current situation stands in stark contrast to the near cessation of international spread during 2012 and the low polio season of 2013.”
FAQs for travellers from polio-infected countries
And yes, you should be concerned if:
you are not fully vaccinated and protected against polio, completing an age-appropriate polio vaccine series. That would likely include a 4-5 dose series for kids or a 3 dose series for adults.
you are fully vaccinated adult and you are traveling to an area with an active polio outbreak, as you likely need a one-time booster
you are immunocompromised
What if you have had polio already?
Surprisingly, having a natural polio infection doesn’t protect you from all strains of polio, so you might still be at risk to get sick if you are not vaccinated.
Polio Update
What kind of risk?
Since last year, there have been:
40 cases of wild polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the remaining endemic countries
202 cVDPV cases
Fortunately, case counts have been going down in the past year!
“The Committee noted that conflict and insecurity continue to affect many countries and sub-national experiencing WPV1 and cVDPV outbreaks, disrupting both routine immunization services and supplementary polio vaccination campaigns.”
Statement of the Forty-fourth Meeting of the Polio IHR Emergency Committee
Still, continue efforts to get everyone vaccinated so that we can finally eradicate polio has been challenging.
That is still the goal though!
Don’t get in the way by skipping or delaying your child’s polio vaccine or helping to start an outbreak.
Get vaccinated, especially if you are going to travel to a country that still has active polio outbreaks.