Few days ago, a news has been circulating all over the media that new restrictions have been put on international travelers. The highlight was that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has made it mandatory for airlines to check the polio vaccination cards of passengers traveling overseas.
However, CAA has debunked recent media accusations saying that NADRA was putting additional restrictions on international travelers.
No Polio Vaccination Certificate Needed for International Travel
The CAA spokeswoman claims that there is no requirement for a polio immunization card for international travelers. The spokeswoman advised international travelers against taking advantage of offers for polio immunization cards from any unreliable web resource.
He advised overseas travelers to steer clear of any online characters that pose as representatives of other airlines. He claimed that the purpose of this declaration is to protect travelers from internet fraud being conducted by some dishonest individuals.
Travelers should pay extra attention to internet trolls who pose as representatives of different airlines. The CAA letter, which was published on social media, was an abandoned internal communication from Islamabad Airport.
It is made clear that this letter is in no manner a polio-related travel warning. Passengers are urged to inquire with the airlines of the destination nation about that nation’s health policies, particularly its polio vaccination policy.
According to Dr. Baseer Achakzai, Director General of Health Services in Islamabad,
“If some countries have such requirements, they let the travelers know about it through their embassies and consulates prior to the issuance of visas and travel requirements.”
He added that health authorities had not advised every traveler to obtain a polio vaccination certificate from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), adding that the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad had not also issued any such advisory to the general public or any other authority in Pakistan.
Iftikhar Shallwani, the federal secretary of health, denied knowing of any such need for overseas travel and stated that Pakistan would adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has not imposed any such limitations on Pakistanis traveling abroad.
Other Things to Consider
All passengers are no longer required to provide a COVID-19 vaccination certificate upon arrival or a negative PCR Report before boarding a flight or upon arrival.
Additionally, the requirement that 2% of passengers arriving from the UK, the Gulf, and other countries be screened for COVID-19 had been removed.
