Polio Case in Australia, July 1, Thai Airways

July 1st, the first case of Polio flew into Australia in more than 20 years. A word of caution for all travellers- always make sure you immunizations are up to date! If you were on Thai Airways flight TG999 from Bangkok on July 1, you should get in contact with Victorian Authorities.

Almost 250 people were on the flight from Bangkok to Melbourne early this month with a 22-year-old student from Pakistan who was later diagnosed with the first case of polio in Australia in 20 years, officials said.

About 100 of the mostly-Australian passengers had been contacted and efforts were being made to get in touch with the others after a national health alert was issued on Friday.

“We will be running an immunisation session,” said Victoria state’s chief health officer John Carnie.

“For others, we will be doing it either through their general practitioner or whichever method is most convenient to the patient.”

The student, who had been in Pakistan for four months before returning to Australia on Thai Airways flight TG999 from Bangkok on July 1, is in a Melbourne hospital after being admitted on July 7. Read the article here