The fourth case of polio in the Philippines was confirmed early in November 2019—nearly two decades after it was declared to have been eradicated in the country. In the midst of this outbreak, the number of countries requiring an International Certificate of Vaccination for travelers has gone up to 19. So check out this list if you're heading abroad in the near future:
- Afghanistan
- Belize
- Brunei
- Georgia
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Maldives
- Morocco
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Ukraine
If you need an International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV), head on over to the Bureau of Quarantine. Issuance of the certificate will cost P300, according to a report by GMA News Online. The bureau offers free vaccination in case you haven't been. You can also head to your local clinic or trusted healthcare establishment for the proper treatment; just be sure to keep your records.
Vaccination must be administered at least four weeks before traveling, the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) said. "[The certificate's function] goes two ways. For those countries that have cases na ganoon; [it's] for your protection, sa mga pupunta doon," BOQ Doctor Noreen Balingbing-Espero was quoted as saying in the report. "At the same time, may mga countries na wala ganyang cases of polio, baka kasi dalhin ninyo."
