What do I need to know before I travel?
Public Health Scotland logo

Fit for Travel Logo

Information on how to stay safe and healthy abroad. About us.

Polio in Papua New Guinea (Update 2)

03 Oct 2018

Media quoting World Health Organisation sources report that a child has died in the ongoing polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea. This is the country’s first death from polio in twenty years.

The child was one of 14 cases reported in Papua New Guinea since June 2018. WHO representative Dr Luo Dapeng said that there have been 5 cases in Eastern Highlands province, 3 in Morobe, 2 in Enga, 2 in Madang, 1 in Port Moresby and 1 in Jiwaka.

Advice for Travellers

WHO recommends that "all travellers to polio-affected areas be fully vaccinated against polio. Residents (and visitors for more than 4 weeks) from infected areas should receive an additional dose of OPV or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) within 4 weeks to 12 months of travel."

For further information see Poliomyelitis.