Djibouti
Status: affected by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2)
Polio this week in Djibouti
- There are no polio cases reported in the country.
- No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week.
WHO risk assessment
WHO considers there to be high risk of international spread and/or emergence of cVDPV2 of this strain, particularly across other areas of the Horn of Africa, due to the low population immunity and inadequate routine immunization levels in some areas, and large-scale population movements. In all instances, the continued spread of existing outbreaks as well as the emergence of new outbreaks of cVDPV2 point to gaps in routine immunization coverage and inadequate outbreak response vaccination. The risk of further spread of such strains, or the emergence of new strains, is magnified by decreased immunization rates related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
International Health Regulations
Djibouti is classified by the International Health Regulations (IHR) as a state infected with cVDPV2, with or without evidence of local transmission. It is therefore subject to Temporary Recommendations issued by the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Polio Eradication (issued as of May 2023).
Travel advice
WHO’s International Travel and Health recommends that all travellers to polio-affected areas be fully vaccinated against polio. Residents (and visitors for more than 4 weeks) from infected areas should receive an additional dose of OPV or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) within 4 weeks to 12 months of travel.
