Polio in Togo

22 Oct 2019

On 20 October 2019, the World Health Organisation reported a case of polio in Plateau province, Togo, near the border with Benin and Ghana The case is a 30 month old child who became paralysed on 13 September 2019. The virus involved is similar to one occurring in Irewole state, Nigeria.

Advice for Travellers

The World Health Organisation 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."

Travellers to polio-affected areas should be offered a booster of poliomyelitis vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since their last dose.

For further information see Poliomyelitis.