Elizabeth,
It has been a while since we communicated. I just ran across an article that says the CDC is warning travelers that polio is spreading across Europe including the UK and travelers should get a ‘polio booster’ shot.
Here is what the article says.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel alert warning Americans to take precautions against polio, which is currently spreading in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The agency issued a level 2 alert, cautioning travelers to “practice enhanced precautions” before visiting 32 countries. The CDC recommends being up to date on your polio vaccine before any international travel and urges anyone traveling to the locations on the list to receive a single, lifetime booster dose of the vaccine.
Adult travelers are eligible for the booster dose if they’re going to a destination that has circulating poliovirus, have completed their routine polio vaccine series, and have not already received one adult booster dose.
The countries on the advisory include popular European travel destinations like the United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, Germany, and Poland.
The full list of countries where polio is spreading goes as follows: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Finland, Gaza, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Israel, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, United Kingdom, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.”
I have not seen or heard anything close to this from our RI folks following polio across the world. Have you seen or heard anything different?