First polio campaign of the year begins today

Today marks the beginning of the first polio campaign of the year, aimed at reaching and vaccinating children under the age of five against the debilitating and potentially deadly disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, including UNICEF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be working to vaccinate children in high-risk areas across the globe in an effort to eradicate the disease once and for all.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a viral infection that attacks the nervous system and can cause permanent paralysis, even death. It primarily affects children under the age of five and is spread through contaminated water or food, or through person-to-person contact. While there is no cure for polio, it can be prevented through vaccination.

The WHO reports that there were only 33 cases of wild poliovirus reported in 2020, which is the lowest number ever recorded. This is a significant decrease from the over 350,000 cases reported in 1988, the year the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched. However, the WHO emphasizes that as long as a single child remains infected with the disease, children in all countries are at risk of contracting it.

The first polio campaign of the year will focus on reaching children in high-risk areas, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the virus continues to circulate. However, the WHO and its partners will also be working to reach children in other countries, such as Nigeria, Angola, and Central African Republic, where there is a risk of the disease spreading.

The campaign will involve teams of health workers going door-to-door to administer the oral polio vaccine to children under the age of five. In some areas, the vaccine will also be available at health clinics and vaccination posts. The WHO reports that over 2.3 billion doses of the oral polio vaccine will be administered during the campaign.

The WHO also stresses the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage to protect against polio outbreaks. This includes reaching children who may have been missed during previous campaigns, as well as ensuring that all children receive the recommended number of doses of the vaccine.

In addition to vaccination, other key strategies to eradicate polio include surveillance to detect and rapidly respond to new cases of the disease, as well as maintaining high levels of routine immunization to protect against outbreaks. The WHO also emphasizes the importance of working with communities to increase awareness and understanding of the disease and the importance of vaccination.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched in 1988, has been a major success in the fight against polio. Thanks to vaccination efforts, the number of cases has decreased by over 99%. However, the WHO stresses that eradication is not yet a done deal, and that continued efforts are needed to reach every child with the vaccine and to maintain high levels of immunity.

Polio is a disease that can cause permanent paralysis and death. It is a highly infectious disease that mainly affects children under the age of five. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, including UNICEF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working to eradicate the disease by reaching and vaccinating children in high-risk areas around the world.

Today marks the beginning of the first polio campaign of the year, which will focus on reaching children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the virus continues to circulate. However, the campaign will also reach children in other countries, such as Nigeria, Angola, and Central African Republic, where there is a risk of the disease spreading.

The campaign will involve teams of health workers going door-to-door to administer the oral polio vaccine to children under the age of five. The WHO reports that over 2.3 billion doses of the oral polio vaccine will