CDC Issues New Warning Over Fatal Disease’s Spread: What To Know In PA

Federal health officials are warning tourists from Pennsylvania and others across the country that global travel carries an increased risk for polio, which is circulating in about 30 countries.

Polio vaccines are universally required for public and private school students, including in Pennsylvania. However, policies allow for medical exemptions and, in many states, religious or personal belief exemptions.

That is is the case in Pennsylvania, which analyzes exceptions on a case by case basis.

"These requirements allow for the following exemptions: medical reason, religious belief, or philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction," the Pennsylvania Department of Health states. "Even if your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be excluded from school during an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory is a Level 2 warning that encourages travelers to “practice enhanced precautions,” especially in the following destinations:

• Afghanistan
• Algeria
• Angola
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Djibouti
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• Gaza
• Germany
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Israel
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Papua New Guinea
• Poland
• Senegal
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Spain
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• United Kingdom
• Yemen
• Zimbabwe

Polio, a highly contagious, crippling and potentially deadly disease primarily affecting children under 5, can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. According to the World Health Organization, it is usually spread through fecal matter, contaminated water or food, or failure to wash hands after using the bathroom.

The CDC says 95 percent of people infected with polio show no symptoms, and that when symptoms do occur, they often mimic the flu, including fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and neck stiffness. Symptoms last two to 10 days, and most people fully recover.

Fewer than 1 percent of cases are severe illnesses that can cause paralysis, often in the legs, or be fatal if it infects the brain or paralyzes the breathing muscles.

There is no known cure for polio, but it can be prevented by vaccinations. The CDC is advising people who travel to any of the named countries to make sure they’re up-to-date on polio vaccines.

Most adults born in the United States can assume they are vaccinated, according to the CDC. Adult travelers may get a booster if they are going to a destination that has circulating poliovirus; have completed their routine polio vaccine series; and have not already received one adult booster dose.