There are four countries in the world where polio remains endemic, in which 94% of the 1,997 cases reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2006 were found. These countries are Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The remaining 6% of cases are found in fourteen other countries, including Angola, Myanmar, Chad, DR of Congo, Niger and Somalia, all of which trace the origin of the disease back to these four countries.

That is why the CDC is currently recommending polio vaccinations for all travelers to these endemic regions, which includes Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. If not immunized, the full primary series of at least three injections is needed. If immunized, a booster is recommended, and this is thought to confer lifetime immunity.

Dr. William Dabbs, partner with Maryland Primary Care Physicians offers travel immunization services at our Broadneck Office.