Location: Papua New Guinea
Event: In May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified by Papua New Guinea health authorities that a type of polio virus was detected in stool samples from two healthy children in Morobe Province. According to global health standard operating procedures, this detection is considered a “polio outbreak.” This is the first polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea since 2018.
The PNG Department of Health, together with the WHO, UNICEF, and the Australian government, launched a rapid response program. Vaccination campaigns have been initiated, targeting children under five years old in affected areas, with the goal of increasing immunization coverage in the country.
There are currently no reported disruptions to hospital/ clinic operations as a result of the polio outbreak.
Consistent with guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please note the following:
- CDC recommends all infants and children be vaccinated against polio with 4 doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) given at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years.
- Once adults and children have completed the primary vaccination series, they are generally considered to have good lifetime immunity to all strains of polio virus.
- As a precaution, adults who completed the primary series more than 10 years ago may consider a single lifetime booster dose.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy, Port Moresby
+(675) 308-9100
consularportmoresby@state.gov
https://pg.usembassy.gov/
