These destinations include countries in Europe (such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Spain, and Finland), Africa (including Tanzania) and the Eastern Mediterranean (Israel, Afghanistan, and others).
If you’re planning a trip to any of these areas, the CDC urges you to check that you are up to date on your polio vaccinations and to consider getting a booster shot — even if you previously completed the full polio vaccine series, which is said to provide lifelong immunity to the majority of people who receive it.
“Polio continues to be an issue and is an increasing issue in many countries of the world related primarily to decreases in vaccination,” says Robert H. Hopkins Jr., MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
“If you are fully vaccinated, your risk is extremely low — near zero — of getting a polio infection,” Dr. Hopkins says.
Why Polio Is So Dangerous
Polio is a highly transmissible disease. The virus lives in feces and can spread when a person who is infected doesn’t wash their hands properly after defecating (pooping). Poliovirus also spreads through contaminated water or food.
Adam Lauring, MD, PhD, chief of the division of infectious diseases in the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, suggests that with the elimination of polio, many people today may not realize how serious the disease can be.
“I’ve never seen a case of polio as a physician, but I know people in their seventies or eighties who have had polio — it’s something you carry with you your whole life and we don’t have any real treatments,” he says. “The effects can be severe with some patients losing use of their arms and legs, and some winding up on ventilators, as the disease can affect muscles that help you breathe.”
Risks of Undervaccination
If the downward trend continues, the United States could eventually be at risk of losing its elimination status with regards to polio, according to Hopkins.
That’s why the CDC is stressing that travelers to areas where there is greater risk make sure they’ve had their polio shots, and consider getting a booster even if they’ve received the full series of polio vaccinations as a child.
“With this kind of resurgence of polio circulation, I think some people — especially those with immunocompromising conditions — might seriously think about getting a booster out of an abundance of caution,” says Dr. Lauring. “These shots are safe and effective. I encourage people to reach out to their doctors and discuss.”
He further notes that some of the higher-risk areas listed may come as a surprise to many American travelers.
“You might not think before you go to London, ‘Hey, I better get my polio shot,’” says Laurin. “So stay informed about which areas have circulating virus.”
