Polio - Delhi’s new intruders

Crippling India

Deadly Virus Makes A Comeback

POLIO STILL HAUNTS INDIA

Uttrakhand gearing up

Shunned Polio Drive

Polio back, government eradication claim falls flat

Imprisonment on refusing vaccination

Bihar & UP- Ground for polio to flourish

Are we losing the battle against Polio!!!

Current Polio Numbers

Is the government alert enough towards polio?

Time to introspect

Its time to introspect and reflect upon the strategies that have been taken up towards polio eradication. World Health Organizations’ (WHO) commitment to global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000 has failed leaving India as one of the four countries where the deadly polio virus is still prevalent making polio –free India a distant dream.

In spite of combined and consistent endeavors by UNICEF, National Polio Surveillance Project, Indian Academy of Pediatrics and Rotary International, our nation still reels under this vaccine preventable disease. We must therefore learn and implement the measures that have been taken by the industrialized countries to achieve zero polio status.

Health experts from Indian Academics of Pediatrics (IAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended the use of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) used in industrialized countries, in combination with Oral Polio Vaccine for better immunization against the dreaded polio disease. The major advantage of using IPV being that it does not carry the risk of VAPP (vaccine-associated paralytic polio) which is caused by the administration of OPV. OPV being made of live virus carries with itself the danger that the attenuated form can revert to its virulent form and result in paralysis which can cripple the affected individual for life. Though there is a small chance of an infant being infected with polio while receiving OPV drops, however, the more the OPV drops, the greater the risk.

Other than the risk of acquiring VAPP, oral polio vaccine loses its effectiveness in conditions of poor sanitation and thus this is the primary reason why polio still persists in Uttar Pradesh. Poor hygienic conditions perpetuate diarrhea and this high occurrence of diarrhea interferes with OPV administration making it difficult for the body to retain the oral polio vaccine long enough to develop immunity. Moreover, there is an aversion towards OPV administration amongst some sections in Uttar Pradesh because of the myth that it leads to impotency. The latter is resulting in a crisis since a majority of children are being missed out owing to spread of this myth as the houses are either found locked or the health workers are not welcomed when the surveillance teams come for administration.

Keeping in mind, the repercussions of using OPV alone, there is a dire need to move to a combination of both IPV and OPV. IPV not only carries away the risk of acquiring VAPP but also provides individual immunity. It provides better humoral immunity compared to OPV and triggers and excellent immune response and long lasting immunity to all the 3 types of polio virus strains. Moreover, it can stay effective even without proper cold storage facility for a longer time span. According to health experts, in the endemic areas, 2 doses of IPV would be more effective than 10 doses of OPV as immunization with IPV triggers an excellent immune response in most IPV recipients. They also state that that OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) should not be administered to a child with immunodeficiency or to a child who is in close contact of a person with immunodeficiency and instead should be given IPV.

Thus, its time to focus and change our strategies, that is, make use of IPV per say to be able to achieve zero polio status like other countries because we cannot wait for a catastrophe to happen. It is suggested by health experts that IPV alone should be made use of in states which have been polio free for 3-6 years while a combination of OPV and IPV should be used in polio-ridden states. The time has come to make the right choice and protect our children from this crippling disease.

Know Polio for No Polio

Fight against the dreaded disease actually begins with knowing what we are up against

What is polio?

Polio [PO-lee-oh] or poliomyelitis is a viral disease that can damage the nervous system and cause paralysis.

What is the cause of polio?

Polio is caused by any of the three types of polio viruses-- Poliovirus type 1 (PV1 or Mahoney), PV2 (Lansing), and PV3 (Leon). The polio virus lives in the throat and intestinal tract of infected persons. The polio virus enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person. Sharing contaminated utensils, can also spread the virus.

Is Polio a world-wide phenomenon or restricted to a few countries?

Till a few decades ago, polio was one the world’s most deadly diseases crippling and maiming people all over the world. However due to massive global immunization programs and eradication efforts, polio has been limited to a decreasing number of countries. The greatest risk is now in the Indian subcontinent and, to a lesser extent, in West and Central Africa.

What are the symptoms of polio?

The worst part is that many people infected with the virus have few or no symptoms. The polio virus attacks the nerve cells that control muscle movements causing headache, tiredness, fever, stiff neck and back, and muscle pain. More serious problems happen when the virus invades nerves in the brain and causes paralysis of the muscles used in swallowing and breathing. Invasion of the nerves in the spinal cord can cause paralysis of the arms, legs, or trunk.

How long does it take after the exposure for symptoms to appear?

Usually it takes 7 to 14 days for the symptoms to appear after exposure to the virus. A person with polio can spread the infection as long as the virus is active in their throat or stool. The virus can be found in the throat 1 week after infection and in the stool for 6 weeks or longer.

How is polio diagnosed?

Polio is diagnosed by a blood test or culture.

Who is at risk for polio?

Polio is most common in infants and young children, but complications occur most often in older persons.

What complications can result from polio?

Complications include paralysis, most commonly of the legs. Paralysis of the muscles that control breathing and swallowing can be fatal. In very rare cases, the oral vaccine used to prevent polio can cause polio paralysis in persons who are vaccinated (1 in every 8.1 million doses) and in people who are close contacts of a vaccinated person (1 in every 5 million doses).

What is the treatment for polio?

There is no treatment for polio. A polio patient must receive expert medical care, especially at the beginning of the illness.

How can polio be prevented?

Polio is preventable by immunization. Two types of polio vaccine are available: oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). OPV is made with a live but weakened virus. OPV protects vaccinated persons directly. OPV also protects other susceptible persons who are indirectly "vaccinated" as the vaccine virus spreads in the community. Because of wide use of OPV, no cases of paralytic polio caused by naturally circulating polio virus have been reported in the United States since 1979.

IPV is given by injection. The latest thinking worldwide is to give a combination of OPV and IPV for effective protection against polio. The recommended schedule for polio vaccination for children is two doses of IPV at 2 and 4 months of age, followed by two doses of OPV at 12-18 months and 4-6 years. This is expected to reduce the small number of polio cases caused by the oral vaccine.

Booster doses of polio vaccine are also recommended for persons traveling to polio affected areas of the world.

This information is for patient awareness only and is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health-care provider. For more details consult your family physician or health-care provider

Official Google Blog: New advisory group on health

Official Google Blog: New advisory group on health