Cedars-Sinai infectious disease experts are urging summer travelers to check their vaccination records before leaving the U.S. this year, with polio still circulating in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. The advice, issued July 7, 2026, comes as the virus remains a travel concern even though it was eliminated in the U.S. more than four decades ago.
Michael Ben-Aderet said the warning is less about panic than preparation. “More than anything, it’s a good reminder that staying up to date on vaccinations is critical to staying safe and healthy while traveling,” he said, adding that vaccinated travelers face minimal risk.
That advice matters because polio has not disappeared everywhere. Wild strains still persist in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in recent years roughly 30 countries across Africa, Europe and Asia have shown signs of circulation, including the U.K. and Germany. In the U.K., public health officials have even detected the virus in wastewater tests, a sign that it can move quietly before anyone notices a case on the ground.
For most people, polio is not the disease it once was. It usually causes a mild illness, and most people recover quickly. But a small share of infections can turn far worse if the virus reaches the nervous system, where it can cause paralysis. The virus typically spreads when an infected person does not wash their hands after using the restroom and contaminates water, food or other surfaces that others touch.
That is why the guidance focuses on travelers who may have let immunity slide over the years. Almost everyone in the U.S. received the polio vaccine series as a child, but older adults worried that their protection may have waned may want to consider a booster before visiting regions where transmission remains possible. The vaccine has minimal side effects, and travelers begin gaining some protection immediately, though the full benefit does not arrive until four weeks after vaccination.
The faster-moving risk for summer travelers is measles, especially in crowded or enclosed spaces, where airborne particles can linger for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. Measles outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Utah pushed U.S. measles cases in 2026 to more than 2,220, making the vaccination check even more urgent before anyone boards a plane. For travelers heading abroad, the practical step is simple: check the record now, not at the gate, because the booster only helps if it is given before the trip begins.
