Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges travelers to confirm vaccinations as poliovirus resurfaces across multiple countries.
International travel often comes with vaccine reminders, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now warning travelers to ensure their polio vaccinations are up to date.
The CDC issued a level 2 travel advisory on March 3, warning that poliovirus has been detected in multiple destinations within the past 12 months – including parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system, according to the CDC. While many people infected with the virus don’t experience symptoms, some may develop fever, fatigue, nausea, headache or muscle stiffness. In rare cases, the disease can cause permanent paralysis or death, particularly if breathing muscles are affected.
The virus spreads primarily through contact with contaminated food or water, often due to poor hand hygiene. Because the virus lives in the feces of infected individuals, it can spread when people don’t wash their hands properly after using the bathroom.
For travelers, vaccination remains the best protection.
The CDC recommends that children and adults be up to date on their routine polio vaccines before any international travel. Adults who previously completed the full vaccine series may also receive a single lifetime booster dose if they are traveling to a destination where poliovirus is circulating.
Travelers who have not been vaccinated or have not completed the series should do so before leaving the country, the agency advises.
Although the disease is rare in the United States thanks to widespread vaccination, the CDC notes that international travel can increase the risk of exposure if outbreaks occur elsewhere.
