What should you know about eradication of poliomyelitis?

Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a viral infection that can spread through close contact and contaminated food or water. Many infections cause no obvious symptoms, but some can lead to fever, weakness, or paralysis. Eradication means stopping sustained transmission everywhere, which requires reliable immunisation and rapid attention to suspected cases.

Keep children’s vaccinations up to date according to the local schedule, and carry records when travelling or changing clinics. Ask a healthcare professional to check missed doses rather than restarting a schedule yourself. Hand hygiene and safe food and water practices also reduce the spread of infections while vaccination remains the main protection against polio.

Seek urgent medical assessment for sudden weakness or paralysis, trouble breathing, difficulty swallowing, or severe illness after possible exposure. Contact a clinician promptly for fever with new limb weakness, especially after travel to an area where polio transmission may occur.

Ask whether the vaccination record is complete, how missed doses should be handled, and whether travel plans require an additional vaccination review.