In the News
Update on the Global Status of Polio
This information is current as of today, May 09, 2008 at 18:03
Updated: April 02, 2008
According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI),* only 4 countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan) remain polio-endemic, an all-time low.
The following countries, however, have had imported polio cases or cases related to an imported case in the past 24 months: Angola, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Somalia, and Sudan. Of these countries, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), DRC, and Namibia had previously been polio-free for over 4 years, and Kenya had been polio-free for over 10 years. The Central African Republic is also considered at risk for poliovirus importation, because it is located near endemic or recently infected countries.
Outbreaks continue to be a risk and susceptible people are still at risk for infection until poliovirus is eliminated worldwide. Therefore, travelers should be sure they and their children are fully immunized against polio according to the recommendations below.
Current Vaccination Recommendations for U.S. Travelers
Vaccination is recommended for all travelers to polio-endemic areas or countries with recent imported cases (as listed above). These areas include parts of Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. (See specific country recommendations in the Destinations section.)
Infants and Children
- The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all infants and children in the United States should receive 4 doses of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), administered at 2, 4, and 6–18 months and 4–6 years of age.
- If accelerated protection is needed, the minimum interval between doses is 4 weeks, although the preferred interval between the second and third doses is 2 months.
Adults
- Travelers who have received a primary series with either IPV or oral polio vaccine (OPV) without an adult booster dose should receive another dose of IPV before departure.
- Available data do not indicate the need for more than a single lifetime booster dose with IPV.
- Travelers who are unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or whose vaccination status is unknown should receive 3 doses of IPV. (See Chapter 4, Poliomyelitis, CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008, for details.)
More Information
Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus and spread from person to person. The disease mainly affects children under 5 years of age. Polio may be spread when the virus enters the mouth of a person who has come in contact with the stool of an infected person (for example, by changing diapers and not washing hands before touching the mouth) or from fecal contamination of food or drinking water. Most people infected with the poliovirus have no symptoms, but in some people the infection causes paralysis and even death. Until the 1950s, polio crippled thousands of children in industrialized countries. Soon after the introduction of effective vaccines in the late 1950s (IPV) and early 1960s (OPV), polio was brought under control and practically eliminated as a public health problem in industrialized countries.
OPV has not been used in the United States since 2000; however, it is used in many other counties and has played a major role in eliminating polio from large parts of the world. IPV, which is given by intramuscular injection, is now used in the United States and several other industrialized countries.
For more information, see:
See the Global Polio Eradication Initiative website for more information. For additional information about these outbreaks, see the Monthly Situation Reports.
* The Global Polio Eradication Initiative comprises the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), national ministries of health, and other partners.
