Polio vaccine a must for exit travelers from June 1

Published May 13, 2014
Police officer stand guard as people, who need to vaccinate their children against polio, approach health workers in Peshawar. —AP Photo/File
Police officer stand guard as people, who need to vaccinate their children against polio, approach health workers in Peshawar. —AP Photo/File

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will require all travelers leaving the country to obtain a polio vaccination from June 1, 2014, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

A statement from the ministry said the restrictions comply with a decision by the World Health Organisation (WHO) advising travelers of all ages to be vaccinated by next month.

It said all provinces have been provided necessary guidance and material to set up special counters at hospitals and airports for polio vaccination and certification.

Related: Polio virus found in Lahore, Karachi sewage samples

The ministry spokesman Sajid Shah said pregnant women traveling abroad are not exempted from the restrictions and the vaccination was not injurious for them.

The WHO has declared the spread of polio an international public health emergency and identified Pakistan, Syria and Cameroon as having allowed the virus to spread beyond their borders.

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