Polio in Indonesia

26 Feb 2019

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative reports that polio is circulating in Papua Province, Indonesia which shares a border with Papua New Guinea.   

Two individuals have been founded to be infected with Poliovirus. One was an acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) case who became unwell on 27 November 2018. The other was a healthy person found to be infected on 24 January 2019. No further cases have been notified in the most recent update on 20 February 2019.

These cases are not linked to continuing polio outbreak in neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

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.