Health ministry of Sri Lanka has advised all Sri Lankan pilgrims to
take the polio vaccine before visiting India. Sri Lanka has eradicated
polio completely and it has not been reported in the country since
1993. But India has reported many cases of polio and most of the cases
have been reported from the states-- Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. As many
Buddhist places of worship are located in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and a
large number of Sri Lankan Buddhists make pilgrimage in that states,
spokesman said.

According to a Health Ministry spokesman,
“There is a possibility that the dreaded disease could be spread in Sri
Lanka through pilgrims returning, if they did not take precautionary
measures.” He also said that all pilgrims will be given the Oral Polio
Vaccine (OPV) two weeks before their departure to India “for their own
protection and to prevent the disease spreading to Sri Lanka.”
 
Pilgrims
can obtain the vaccine from the Public Health Inspector of their
respective areas free of cost. Vaccine is also available at Ports
Health Centre/Office at the MRI building complex, Borella and the
Health Centre Office at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Spokesman said those pilgrims should report to the PHI’s office who
fall sick returning from India.