19 August 2004: Poliomyelitis and Changes to Recommendations for Travellers

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative continues in its efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, and three out of the six regions of the World Health Organisation have now been certified free from polio. Only 6 countries remain endemic for polio: Nigeria , India , Pakistan , Niger , Afghanistan and Egypt . However, a recent outbreak of polio in northern Nigeria has resulted in imported cases in a number of African countries ( http://www.polioeradication.org/ ; www.NaTHNaC.org/healthprofessionals/clinical/polio.htm)

NaTHNaC has reviewed the current global epidemiology of polio and has made a number of changes to recommendations that reflect the global status and the risk of polio to travellers.

Recommendations

All travellers should be up to date with the UK immunisation schedule, which includes vaccination against polio. Recommendations for travel to the different WHO regions are provided below:

WHO European Region (certified polio free June 2002) : a polio booster is no longer recommended for travel to countries within this region (unless the traveller has never completed a primary course. In these circumstances the primary course should be completed.)

WHO Western Pacific Region (certified polio free October 2000) : a polio booster is no longer recommended for travel to countries within this region (unless the traveller has never completed a primary course. In these circumstances the primary course should be completed.

WHO American Region (certified polio free in September 1994) : a polio booster is no longer recommended for travel to countries within this region (unless the traveller has never completed a primary course. In these circumstances the primary course should be completed. This recommendation has already been in place for a number of years.

WHO African Region : a booster dose of polio is recommended for those who have not received a dose within the previous 10 years

WHO South East Asian Region: a booster dose of polio is recommended for those who have not received a dose within the previous 10 years

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region: a booster dose of polio is recommended for those who have not received a dose within the previous 10 years

The list of countries that fall within each WHO region can be found on the WHO website under 'Regional Offices'

at: http://www.who.int/about/en/

A list of countries currently reporting cases of wild type poliomyelitis can be found at:

http://www.polioeradication.org/casecount.asp

Useful links:

www.polioeradication.org