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• Posted March 10, 2026

Going Abroad? CDC Warns Travelers About Polio Risk in Several Countries

Travelers heading overseas may want to check their vaccination records first.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges people to make sure their polio vaccines are up to date before traveling internationally.

The warning comes after the virus has been detected in several parts of the world during the past year, including the United Kingdom and Germany.

On March 3, the CDC issued a Level 2 travel notice, advising travelers to take extra precautions. The agency says poliovirus is circulating in countries across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

The full list includes:

• Afghanistan

• Algeria

• Angola

• Benin

• Burkina Faso

• Cameroon

• Central African Republic

• Chad

• Côte d'Ivoire

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Djibouti

• Ethiopia

• Gaza

• Germany

• Guinea

• Israel

• Laos

• Namibia

• Niger

• Nigeria

• Pakistan

• Papua New Guinea

• Poland

• Senegal

• Somalia

• South Sudan

• Sudan

• Tanzania

• United Kingdom

• Yemen

Polio is a serious disease that affects the nervous system and can cause permanant disability, officials say.

Many people infected with the virus may not feel sick. But some develop symptoms such as fever, tiredness, nausea, headaches and muscle stiffness.

In severe cases, the disease can cause paralysis or death, especially if the muscles used to breathe stop functioning.

The virus spreads mainly through contaminated food or water. It can also spread when people do not wash their hands properly after using the bathroom, since the virus lives in infected stool.

The CDC says vaccination is the most effective way to prevent polio.

Kids and adults should make sure they are fully vaccinated before traveling abroad, the agency says.

Adults who have already completed the recommended vaccine series may also receive one lifetime booster shot if they are traveling to a place where the virus is circulating.

Travelers who have never been vaccinated or who did not complete the series should do so before leaving the country, the CDC advises.

Polio is very rare in the United States because vaccination rates are high. But traveling to areas where the virus is still circulating can increase the risk of exposure.

More information

The American Medical Association explains what doctors wish patients knew about polio.

SOURCE: USA Today, March 5, 2026