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Have you been vaccinated against Polio?

Besi Besemar October 28, 2013

Public Health EnglandPublic Health England (PHE) and National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) are reminding UK residents travelling to Israel, or the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine, to make sure they are up-to-date with their routine immunisations and have had a polio containing vaccine in the past 10 years.

The Israeli health authorities are monitoring the situation, following the identification of naturally occurring or ‘wild’ poliovirus in 91 sewage samples taken from 27 sites across Israel. In addition the wild poliovirus has been identified in stool samples from 42 healthy individuals, or ‘carriers’, who are reported to have been vaccinated against polio.

Polio is caused by a highly infectious virus, contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or water or by close contact with someone infected with the poliovirus. The disease can cause either mild or no symptoms, and around one in 100 infections may lead to paralytic polio – a serious illness which results in permanent disability and sometimes death. Polio can be prevented by having a full course of vaccination, which has been used routinely in the UK since the 1950s.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said:

“Israel’s last paralytic polio case was in 1988 and the World Health Organization agreed that the country was polio-free in 1992, but the fact that the virus is being found across a wide geographic area in Israel shows that it has been re-established.

“Many people in the UK will already be fully immunised against polio from their routine childhood immunisations. However travellers to Israel and Palestine need to check their vaccination status before travel and should receive a booster dose if they have not had one in the past 10 years.”

Dr Vanessa Field, joint director of NaTHNaC, added:

“People at higher risk of exposure to polio include travellers visiting friends and relatives, long stay travellers and those visiting areas of poor sanitation, such as health workers.

 “Anyone who is unsure of their own or their child’s polio vaccination status should check with their GP before travel. Previous infection with polio does not mean you are immune to all types of disease.

“As well as ensuring they are up-to-date with vaccinations, travellers should take strict food, water and personal hygiene precautions.”

In August, a nationwide polio vaccination campaign started in Israel, targeting all children aged up to nine years. The oral polio vaccine is being used to boost intestinal immunity in children previously vaccinated with inactivated polio vaccine in order to interrupt the spread of polioviruses. A vaccination campaign is also being considered in the West Bank and Gaza.

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