The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 2 travel alert for 32 countries due to the spread of polio, urging travelers to “practice enhanced precautions.”
The agency is advising Americans planning international travel to ensure they are up to date on their polio vaccinations and noted that eligible travelers may receive a single lifetime booster dose before departure.
The advisory includes several European destinations, such as Spain, Finland, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom, as well as countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
In the early 20th century, polio was one of the most feared diseases in industrialized countries, paralyzing thousands of children every year. Soon after the introduction of effective vaccines in the 1950s and '60s, however, polio was brought under control and practically eliminated in these countries. It took somewhat longer for polio to be recognized as a major problem in developing countries. However, national immunization programs since the '70s have helped control the disease.
Click on for more about the history of polio.