Polio in Congo

On 12 May 2023, the World Health Organization reported poliovirus has been detected in Congo.

Advice for Travellers

Poliomyelitis is spread mainly through person to person contact via the faecal-oral route. All travellers should:

• take care with personal and food and water hygiene
• be up to date with polio vaccine as per UK vaccination schedule
• be offered a booster dose of poliomyelitis vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since their last dose

Travellers visiting this country for longer than 4 weeks should consider receiving a booster dose of a polio-containing vaccine if they have not had one in the previous 12 months.

For further information, see the Congo country page and Poliomyelitis page