Polio Update - October 2021

The only two remaining countries where wild Poliovirus is circulating are Afghanistan and Pakistan

Polio vaccine administered

With 3 months of the year remaining there have only been 2 (120) cases and 63 (356) positive environmental isolates.

NB. The numbers in brackets are the total for the same 9 months of 2020.

Circulating Vaccine Derived cases: cVDVP continues to be a problem with 96.4% cases caused by cVDVP2. In 2021 so far there have been 297 (363) cDVP2 cases, mainly in equatorial Africa. The largest outbreak has been in Nigeria with 152 cases, which is more than twice the total for the previous 5 years. The only countries outside Africa where there have been cases are Afghanistan/Pakistan with 51 (140) and Tajikistan with 32 (0).

Circulation of cVDVP is evidence of inadequate vaccination coverage, and reflects the poor healthcare infrastructure in these countries. If Sabin oral polio vaccine is allowed to circulate in a population for several months, virulent strains emerge by mutation. A genetically stable novel oral polio vaccine was licenced in November 2020, and rollout through special immunisation campaigns began in April this year in Nigeria and Liberia.

Billion Seed Challenge: As a member of the Together Coalition, Rotary is supporting the #BillionSeedChallenge to highlight the importance of the environment in the run up to COP26. Many Rotary clubs across the country will also be planting almost 2 million crocus corms on and around World Polio Day on 24th October as part of the End Polio Now campaign, and these events can also be a part of the challenge.

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Polio vaccine administered

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