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The seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2015) regarding the international spread of wild poliovirus in 2014-2015 was convened by the WHO Director General on 10 November 2015.
In their last report in August 2015, the Emergency Committee expressed concerns regarding circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV) and it was decided that this seventh meeting would broaden its approach to also consider outbreaks of cVDPV. As a result the Committee have revised their criteria to include countries reporting cVDPV.
The Committee noted that the international spread of wild poliovirus continues and that there were two new documented exportations from Pakistan into Afghanistan during July and August 2015.
The Committee agreed that the situation still constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of the Temporary Recommendations for a further three months to the following countries:
Countries currently exporting wild poliovirus or cVDPV:
Afghanistan (last exportation 6 June 2015) and Pakistan (last exportation 27 August 2015).
Countries infected with wild poliovirus or cVDPV detected in the last 6 months but not currently exporting:
Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Ukraine and Laos People's Democratic Republic.
In addition, all travellers to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria should ensure they have had a full primary course of poliomyelitis vaccine and be offered a booster if it has been more than 10 years since their last dose.
(these countries are no longer infected with wild poliovirus or cVDPV but remain vulnerable to international spread or to the emergence and circulation of cVDPV)
Travellers should be encouraged to take strict precautions with food, water and personal hygiene.
In addition, in order to comply with the WHO and ECDC recommendations and also to avoid travellers being vaccinated in the polio-infected country, authorities in the UK have made the following vaccination recommendations.
In Scotland, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) advise:
In addition, all travellers to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria should ensure they have had a full primary course of poliomyelitis vaccine and be offered a booster if it has been more than 10 years since their last dose.
(these countries are no longer infected with wild poliovirus or cVDPV but remain vulnerable to international spread or to the emergence and circulation of cVDPV)
In England, Public Health England and NaTHNaC have issued advice which is different to that in Scotland (please look at Travel Health Pro Clinical updates for full details).