POEA Orders OFWs in Pakistan, Afghanistan to Receive Anti-polio Vaccines

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) directed workers and recruitment agencies to ensure that the required vaccination against poliovirus is met amidst widespread occurrences of the virus in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to the Advisory No. 26 issued by POEA Administrator Hans Cacdac, Filipino workers and recruitment companies were directed to follow the order of the World Health Organization (WHO).

“All workers and recruitment agencies are enjoined to ensure that the requirement for polio vaccination is complied with,” said the order dated June 27.

Aside from travel restrictions given by WHO to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the POEA head said resident and long-term visitors (over four-week stay) to Pakistan and Afghanistan must receive a dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) or Inactive Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) between four weeks to 12 months prior to international travel.

“It further that poliovirusis endemic in Afghanistan and in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) in Pakistan. The security situation in these areas makes it even more difficult for government health workers to conduct complete vaccination to residents in the area,” he added.

With this, Cacdac reminded them that the existing restriction on Pakistan, which is under Alert Level 1 (Precautionary Phase) and Afghanistan which is under Alert Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation Phase) based on POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 21, Series of 2014, continues to apply. (PNA) RMA/FGP/RSM