Travelers to or from Polio affected countries to be vaccinated

BHUBANESWAR: In order to minimise the risk of polio virus importation into India, the Central Government has decided that travelers to or from the seven countries namely Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, Kenya, Syria and Ethiopia should receive a dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) before travel and that this vaccination should ideally be undertaken at least four weeks before travel to these countries.

According to the communication from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the State Government directed Collectors and Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs) of the districts, Director of Capital Hospital and CMO of RGH Rourkela to give certificate to the travelers after vaccination. 

The Ministry’s letter said the dose of OPV will be given to all travelers to these countries, irrespective of age or previous vaccination status, at least four weeks prior to travel to these countries.

Each traveller will be issued a certificate of vaccination after administration of OPV in the attached format which should be signed by the designated officer, which will be valid for a period of one year from the date of vaccination.

It has been decided to designate the PPC of the district headquarter hospital as the designated OPV vaccination center, and the medical officer in charge of the PPC to be the designated official for certification of the travelers. We have received the details of the designated centres and officers from each district and Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.