Singapore Confirms Fully Vaccinated Immunocompromised Child Has Polio

The Republic of Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) recently confirmed one imported case of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis in a five-month-old Indonesian who arrived in Singapore for medical treatment at the National University Hospital upon arrival.

According to the MOH's press release on February 7, 2025, the infant is immunocompromised and was previously vaccinated with one dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) and one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).

Vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis is a rare adverse event that occurs when an individual develops paralytic polio after receiving OPV. The risk is higher for immunocompromised persons, for whom IPV is recommended instead of OPV.

Many countries have progressively switched to offering IPV, and Singapore stopped using OPV in 2021.

Singapore, an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia, has not reported any locally acquired polio cases since 1978.

Singapore has maintained its polio-free status by providing high polio vaccination coverage, maintaining high environmental hygiene and sanitation standards, and establishing a surveillance system to detect possible poliomyelitis cases.

The MOH says vaccination is the most effective protection against poliomyelitis. Children receive five vaccine doses under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule.

As of February 10, 2025, the MOH says there is a low risk of community transmission.

A recent Eurosurveillance analysis stated, 'Until global eradication is achieved and as long as poliovirus is circulating anywhere, importations into Europe are inevitable.'

In January 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reissued a Global Polio Alert—Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions Travel Health Notice, identifying polio outbreaks and virus detections in 39 countries.

The CDC has recommended routine and travel vaccinations such as yellow fever and measles before visiting Singapore in 2025.