LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 2 travel alert for polio in more than 30 countries, urging travelers to ensure they are fully vaccinated before departure.
Emphasizing precautions as Americans begin spring break trips to destinations including Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany, the CDC advised, “Before any international travel, make sure you are up-to-date on your polio vaccines.”
The advisory highlights the severity of polio, a disease that can cripple and fatally impact the nervous system. The CDC advises adults who have completed the full routine vaccine series to consider a single, lifetime booster before traveling to high-risk areas.
“Good handwashing practices can help prevent the spread of this disease. Because the virus that causes polio lives in the feces of an infected person, people can spread it if they do not wash their hands well after using the bathroom,” the agency noted.
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Medical experts revealed that travelers may also contract the virus from contaminated food or water. According to Fox News senior medical analyst, Dr. Marc Siegel, the Salk polio vaccine, used exclusively in the U.S., protects against all clinical disease.
“It provides lifetime immunity for the vast majority of people who take it. It makes sense to have a single booster before traveling to an area where there is polio, one lifetime booster,” he said.
Moreover, travelers are urged to understand that polio infections may initially present mild or unnoticed symptoms, including fever, fatigue, nausea, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, neck or back stiffness, and limb pain. In rare cases, the disease can lead to paralysis or death, especially if muscles used for breathing are affected or the brain becomes infected.
Ultimately, the CDC’s warning serves as a critical reminder that vaccination, proper hygiene, and safe food and water practices remain the most effective defenses against a disease that, while rare in the U.S., still poses risks abroad.
