Kenya Gets 1st Polio Case in 22 Years

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By ELIANE ENGELER Associated Press Writer

October 17,2006 | GENEVA --

Kenya has reported its first polio case in 22 years with the infection of a 3-year-old Somali refugee girl marking a new setback in the global effort to eradicate the crippling disease, officials said Tuesday.

- Wow. This just goes to show how important it is for the world to support the distribution of polio vaccines. It's also a good moment to remind anyone who sees this blog and will be travelling to Africa and has not had a polio vaccine INJECTED, they absolutely need to see someone at a travel clinic to get this shot. The polio vaccine drink version that most of us had as babies in the US is NOT effective in any part of Africa (as far as I know) and even in a country like Kenya, where polio hasn't been seen in 22 years, it's essential to protect yourself. Unfortunately, polio has not yet been eradicated and there is always a risk of contracting it, especially in a place like Kenya where the influx of refugees and travellers is particularly high. AAAAND that concludes my sermon.