Canada's polio travel health notice was updated on September 9, 2026, and it now names two places many Canadians visit without a second thought: Germany and the United Kingdom. Here's what the notice says, who needs a polio booster before a trip, and the extra rule for longer stays in Germany.
What Canada's polio notice says
The Government of Canada's notice Polio: Advice for travellers is at Level 2, Practise enhanced health precautions. The World Health Organization (WHO) treats the international spread of poliovirus as a public health emergency of international concern, and it issues temporary recommendations to the countries affected, reviewed every 3 months.
Canada's advice for every trip is the same: before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Polio is part of the routine schedule for children in Canada, and the notice says one booster dose of the polio vaccine is recommended as an adult.
Germany: the 4-week rule
Germany is one of 11 destinations under the WHO's temporary polio recommendations, because wild poliovirus type 1 or circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 or 3 is present there. The WHO asks these countries to make sure that travellers who stay longer than 4 weeks receive a dose of polio vaccine between 1 and 12 months before they leave. Canada's Germany page says this may be required even if you've already had all your routine polio vaccines in Canada.
If you're planning a long stay in Germany, for work, study or family, ask about a polio dose before you go and keep proof of it with you (see the certificate below).
The United Kingdom
Canada's page for the United Kingdom says circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) is present there. The UK is not under the WHO's departure rule, so the advice is the general one: make sure your routine polio vaccines are up to date, and remember that one booster dose is recommended as an adult.
Other destinations on Canada's lists
The WHO's temporary recommendations also cover Afghanistan, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Israel and Palestine, Laos, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Sudan. Separately, Canada's notice lists 24 destinations with vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2: 20 in Africa (including Tanzania), plus Germany, the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea and Yemen. The full list is on Canada's notice, which changes as the WHO updates it.
Who needs a polio booster?
- Adults: Canada's notice recommends one booster dose as an adult, so if you've never had one, ask about it before a trip to any destination on the lists above.
- Children: make sure they've had every polio dose on Canada's routine childhood schedule for their age.
- Not sure what you've had? Check your vaccination records or ask your family doctor. A physician can tell you what you need based on your records and your trip.
The vaccination certificate
For the countries under the WHO's temporary recommendations, including Germany, Canada advises having your health care provider record your polio vaccines on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis and carrying it when you travel. Canada's notice says the certificates are provided at yellow fever vaccination centres. The Virtual Travel Clinic is not one, so if you need the certificate we'll tell you where the nearest designated centre is. If you get a polio dose while abroad, have it recorded on your certificate too.
While you're away and after you return
Polio spreads mainly through food and water contaminated with feces. Canada's advice is to eat food that is well cooked and served hot, drink boiled, disinfected or commercially sealed water, and wash your hands often.
Contact a health care provider right away if you or your child have been in contact with someone who has polio, or have any polio symptoms after travelling to a country where polio is still present.
Getting your booster in Ontario
Book a $110 virtual consultation with a physician licensed in Ontario. We review your records and your itinerary, including any other vaccines or malaria pills your trip calls for, and you get the vaccine at our Toronto location. Try to book about 6 weeks before you leave, though it's still worth booking if your trip is sooner.
Sources: Government of Canada — Polio: Advice for travellers (updated September 9, 2026) | Travel advice: Germany | Travel advice: United Kingdom | Government of Canada — Polio
Need travel health advice?
A $110 virtual consultation with a licensed physician. We build your personalised vaccine and malaria plan, then deliver your prescriptions anywhere in Ontario.