Health Canada has issued a travel notice to people considering travelling to countries where polio has not been eliminated.

The Public Health Agency recommends that travellers get vaccinated against polio if travelling to countries such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued temporary polio vaccination recommendations to prevent further spread of the virus worldwide.

For additional information on what countries are affected by the temporary recommendations and how they may apply to your travel plans, please see the Travel Health Notice on the WHO Temporary Polio Vaccine Recommendations.

Polio has been eliminated from most countries, but there are still several cases reported in countries around the world. Polio is a contagious disease and can be prevented by vaccination. It is spread from person to person and through contaminated food and water. Polio can attack the central nervous system and destroy the nerve cells that activate muscles, which may cause paralysis and death.