LOS ANGELES CA – Anyone who intends to travels this summer – inside the U.S. or beyond its borders – should check records of their vaccinations, infectious disease experts say. Their advice: ensure you’re protected against the measles and polio.
Measles Within The U.S.
Measles are a home-bound threat, according to staff members of the California-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Measles outbreaks were recently reported in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Utah. They have pushed the total number of measles cases in the U.S. so far during 2026 to 2,220. That’s already higher than the 2025 count, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
Measles likely presents a more immediate risk to travelers, especially in crowded or enclosed spaces. It is far more contagious, experts claim, because it spreads through airborne particles from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. They can stay suspended in air for up to two hours.
Most individuals fully vaccinated against measles should be well-protected for life, the CDC notes.
“More than anything … staying up to date on vaccinations is critical to staying safe and healthy while traveling,” says Dr. Michael Ben-Aderet, Cedars-Sinai associate director of hospital epidemiology.
Polio Outside the U.S.
Those headed overseas should be concerned about polio. Polio has largely receded from public health concerns in the U.S., where it was eliminated more than 40 years ago.
However, strains of the virus that causes the disease still circulate in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. The vast majority of international travelers are at relatively low risk, particularly if they’ve received vaccinations.
The polio virus typically spreads when an infected person doesn’t wash their hands after using the restroom, and contaminates water, food or other surfaces that others touch. It usually causes a mild illness from which most people recover quickly.
What makes polio frightening is that a small percentage of infections can progress to paralysis affecting the legs and feet, when the virus invades the nervous system.
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