New measures of caution are being introduced for certain visa applicants to provide a polio vaccination certificate. As of 5th May 2014 (WHO) The World Health Organisation has declared a health emergency of international concern over the wild polio virus transmission.
There are several countries that are known to be infected with the wild polio virus but research has been done and they have discovered that the infected states are not exporting outside of their borders. They still pose a high risk and visitors and even people living in the areas have been encouraged by The World Health Organisation to get immunization against the polio virus.
The several countries are:
- Afghanistan
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ethiopia
- Iraq
- Israel
- Somalia
- Nigeria
There are states that pose a greater risk than the above states with the wild poliovirus exportations. The below countries have put down strict rules that anyone who has been living in the below affected areas for longer than four weeks in the last twelve months are to ensure vaccination is taken prior to any International travels as part of an emergency order under the International Health Regulations.
- Pakistan
- Cameroon
- Syria
As from the 5th May 2014, anyone who has spent more than 28 days in Afghanistan, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia or Syria should be vaccinated against polio prior to their departure. Once you have been vaccinated you will receive a certificate of vaccination which you as the visa applicant should provide as your vaccination against polio. If a new visa application is being lodged the certificate should be provided at the time of lodgment.
The certificate of vaccination should provide the information between 4 weeks and 12 months before departure that either oral polio vaccine (OPV) or inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) has been administered.
Protection from a booster dose of the polio vaccine following a primary course is said to last up to 10 years and a booster dose of IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) or OPV (oral polio vaccine) is to last within 4 weeks to 12 months of travel and boosts intestinal mucosal immunity and reduces the risk of poliovirus shedding.
Vaccination certificates should be taken with anyone attending a medical appointment with a panel physician or another option is to provide a vaccination certificate at the time of applying.
Please be aware that you may be requested to provide evidence of polio immunization status from a case officer and if this cannot be provided it may delay the visa application process.
In order to meet the health requirement to apply Australian visas, it will depend on the applicant’s personal circumstances and the visa that they have applied for. All permanent visa applicants and certain temporary visa applicants will be required to undergo health examinations as part of the visa application process.
If you don’t satisfy the health requirement, there is a possibility that the visa may be refused, however this will depend on the visa subclass you have applied for. Some visa subclasses allow a health waiver to be exercised in certain circumstances.
For more information on Health requirement to apply for all type of Australian visas, please contact ONE derland Consulting by visiting our website, www.onederland.com.au, email us at [email protected] or give us a call at +61 (08) 9477 5831.
