Egypt has implemented a new travel requirement, making the presentation of a polio vaccination certificate mandatory for travelers originating from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and several other nations, as reported by ARY News on Monday.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), passengers flying to Egypt from countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malawi, Mozambique, and Congo are required to provide an international certificate confirming their polio vaccination. This certificate can pertain to either the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) or the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), with both being acceptable.
Last month, the Emergency Committee for the International Health Regulations (2005), responsible for assessing the global spread of poliovirus, expressed concerns about Pakistan’s efforts to vaccinate a significant number of children through its polio eradication campaign.
Furthermore, just last week, the health department reported that two environmental samples, collected from Pishin and Peshawar, had tested positive for an Afghan strain of the poliovirus.
Meanwhile, a nationwide polio eradication campaign has been underway in Pakistan since September 25, following the detection of the poliovirus in environmental samples from various cities. The campaign is being conducted in three phases across the country, with the second phase commencing on October 2 and the final phase scheduled for October 9 to 13.
