Mass immunisation against poliomyelitis using principally oral live attenuated trivalent vaccine (OPV) has eradicated wild-type poliovirus transmission in the industrialised countries of the Western hemisphere and most other countries, and the global eradication of poliomyelitis is within reach. The risk of oral polio vaccine-associated poliomyelitis has been estimated by WHO at 0.5-3.4 cases per million of susceptible children, and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) at 1 case per 2.4 million doses of OPV. This has led to the reintroduction and use of inactivated vaccine in the USA and a number of other countries. The current risk of poliomyelitis for travellers is reviewed together with the application of strategies for immunisation against these infections.