Ghana has reported polio outbreak to the World Health Organization.
Key points
- There is a polio outbreak in Ghana.
- CDC recommends that all travelers to Ghana be vaccinated fully against polio.
- Before traveling to Ghana, adults who completed their routine polio vaccine series as children should receive a single, lifetime adult booster dose of polio vaccine.
- The current outbreak in Ghana is caused by vaccine-derived poliovirus, a sign of low polio vaccine coverage in the country.
What is the current situation?
What can travelers do to prevent polio?
Get the polio vaccine. CDC recommends that all travelers to Ghana be vaccinated fully against polio. In addition, adults who have already been fully vaccinated should receive an additional (single) lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine. Even if you were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with polio before, you may need a booster dose to make sure you are protected. See the Polio Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for more information.
If you will be in Ghana for more than 4 weeks, the Ghanaian government may require you to show proof of polio vaccination before you leave the country. To meet this requirement, you should get the polio vaccine between 4 weeks and 12 months before you leave Ghana. Talk to your doctor about whether this requirement applies to you.
Clinician Information
For travelers going to countries with circulating VDPV who have completed their routine polio vaccine series but who have not already received an adult booster dose, CDC recommends administering a single lifetime inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) booster dose (more information).
See the Vaccine section in Chapter 4, Poliomyelitis, CDC Yellow Book, for specific vaccination details.
Additional Information
- Poliomyelitis in Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases — The Pink Book
- Polio Vaccination: Information for Healthcare Professionals
Traveler Information
- CDC Global Health: Polio
- CDC Global Health: Polio: For Travelers
- Polio Vaccine Information Statement
- CDC Travelers’ Health: Food and Water Safety