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India has reported lowest ever number of Polio cases in year 2004 and
only 14 cases in year 2005. Wild polio virus transmission is also confined
to extremely restricted areas. All cases in year 2005 are P1 only. Wild
virus P2 was last reported in October 1999 and P3 in December 2004.
Persistence of P1 was always a problem in all the endemic countries in the
last phase of polio eradication.
Persistence of P1 in India in certain endemic high risk areas is
tricky and more difficult to tackle by routine measures. It demands new
measures. It is also known that type 1 component of trivalent OPV is far
less efficacious than rest of the two.
Looking at the options available to fight this problem, use of
monovalent type 1 OPV enjoys most support in polio eradication.
Review of immunogenicity trials of early days with Sabin strain,
immunogenicity of each type given separately was higher than that of
trivalent vaccine.
Considering this, Government of India has decided to use mOPV type 1
to interrupt the transmission of wild Polio virus type 1 during NID round
in whole of the Bihar, UP, Delhi and Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts of
Maharashtra. The use of mOPV1 in high risk areas is also recommended. This
is likely to improve immunity level against P1 in community and reduce the
pool of susceptible children. This can help in interruption of Wild Polio
virus P1.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
07 June 2005
Umesh Kapil
Professor
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India 110029
Revised strategy for eradication of poliomyelitis in India for year 2005
India has reported lowest ever number of Polio cases in year 2004 and
only 14 cases in year 2005. Wild polio virus transmission is also confined
to extremely restricted areas. All cases in year 2005 are P1 only. Wild
virus P2 was last reported in October 1999 and P3 in December 2004.
Persistence of P1 was always a problem in all the endemic countries in the
last phase of polio eradication.
Persistence of P1 in India in certain endemic high risk areas is
tricky and more difficult to tackle by routine measures. It demands new
measures. It is also known that type 1 component of trivalent OPV is far
less efficacious than rest of the two.
Looking at the options available to fight this problem, use of
monovalent type 1 OPV enjoys most support in polio eradication.
Review of immunogenicity trials of early days with Sabin strain,
immunogenicity of each type given separately was higher than that of
trivalent vaccine.
Considering this, Government of India has decided to use mOPV type 1
to interrupt the transmission of wild Polio virus type 1 during NID round
in whole of the Bihar, UP, Delhi and Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts of
Maharashtra. The use of mOPV1 in high risk areas is also recommended. This
is likely to improve immunity level against P1 in community and reduce the
pool of susceptible children. This can help in interruption of Wild Polio
virus P1.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests