Have you had that polio shot?

Health authorities have advised anyone visiting India, especially the northern areas of that country such as Buddhagaya, to take the polio vaccination which comes as an oral dose, two weeks before departure. There is absolutely no reason to panic. There is also no need to cancel any visit to India. This is a precautionary measure, stresses Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Ananda Amarasinghe, explaining that in recent times there has been a World Health Organizaion alert about the northern parts of India.

In case you fail to get the dose from your MOH two weeks before, for best effectivity, you could still get it from the Health Office at the airport before you board your flight, he said. The Health Office is just beyond the immigration counters. All Medical Officers of Health (MOH) have been informed and anyone who is due to go to India could get the dose from the MOH in his/her area, he said, urging that irrespective of age, gender or previous polio vaccinations, one should take it.

“Don’t worry or panic,” Dr. Amarasinghe reiterated, explaining that Sri Lanka has been monitoring the situation in India, where polio has been reported for about three years now. Sri Lanka has been free of polio since 1993 due to the very effective immunization programmes in the country, he said. All children below 5 years of age get five doses and there is nearly 100% immunization, including in the north and the east. From 1995 to 2003 National Immunization Days and also sub-national immunization days, in addition to the normal immunization programme, have been held to ensure that even those already immunized get an additional two doses. Some of these days which have specially targeted vulnerable areas like the north and the east and some of the border areas as well have also seen coverage of above 90%. The concern is that people who visit northern India may “import” the poliomyelitis virus to Sri Lanka, added Dr. Amarasinghe.

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted through the oral-faecal route. It multiplies in the intestine and invades the nervous system, and can cause paralysis. Polio can be very effectively prevented by immunization. Polio is reported to exist in only five countries – India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.