Polio Vaccination

About the Polio Vaccination

Poliomyelitis is a potentially paralysing and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus, which primarily affects the nervous system. The virus spreads through contaminated food and water and via the faecal-oral route. In the majority of cases infection is asymptomatic, but in a small proportion it invades the nervous system and causes irreversible paralytic disease — particularly in unvaccinated individuals and young children.

Polio has been eradicated in most of the world through global immunisation campaigns, but it remains endemic in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and has caused recent outbreaks in Ukraine, Tajikistan, and, in 2022, detected cases in London sewage. Travellers to endemic or risk regions should ensure their polio vaccination is up to date. The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is given as part of the combined Td/IPV (tetanus, diphtheria, polio) booster injection.

Who should have this vaccination?

• Travellers to countries where poliovirus transmission is ongoing or has been recently detected
• Adults who have not had a polio booster in the past ten years
• Individuals with incomplete or unknown childhood vaccination records
• Healthcare workers, aid workers, and those working with children in endemic regions
• Those travelling to areas with active outbreaks, where a certificate of polio vaccination may be required for exit

Vaccination schedule

Individuals who completed a full childhood primary course of polio vaccination require a booster dose every ten years if travelling to endemic areas. Those with an incomplete vaccination history may require additional doses. The vaccine is administered as a combined Td/IPV injection, simultaneously protecting against tetanus, diphtheria, and polio in a single dose. Some countries with active outbreaks require proof of vaccination for entry or exit — our clinical team can advise and provide documentation.