Travel Vaccinations
Poliomyelitis is more commonly known as polio. It is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted faecally, sometimes through contaminated food or water
Poliomyelitis is more commonly known as polio. It is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted faecally, sometimes through contaminated food or water. There are three strains of the virus – Types 1, 2 and 3.
Thanks to effective immunisation, no-one in the UK has had the disease since the mid 1980s. According to the World Health Organisation, Type 2 was eradicated in 1999, and no cases of Type 3 have been reported since 2012. In 2017 only 22 cases of Type 1 polio were reported worldwide.
Who’s affected
Polio mostly affects children under the age of 5.
Symptoms
Initial symptoms of polio include:
fever
fatigue
headache
vomiting stiffness in the neck
pain in the limbs
Paralysis, often permanent
Treatment
There is no cure for polio, but vaccination is extremely effective. In the UK, it is part of the NHS’s routine childhood vaccination programme. However, if you are travelling to an area that is still affected by polio, it is advisable to have a booster dose if it has been more than 10 years since your last one.
