PULSE POLIO DAYS

20th June, 2010 to 24th June, 2010.  

What is Polio Eradication and its Strategy

Humans are the only reservoir/carrier of Polio Virus called Wild Polio Virus. It has
three types I, II, III. It is type II which is the first one to get eliminated, followed by
type III and then type I Polio Virus from the human environment. Elimination of type
II virus generally indicates a good/satisfactory Routine Immunization
System/Coverage in an area. The country has already eliminated Type-II Virus two
years ago. The Strategy for elimination/eradication is by having an equally strong
system of 4 components. These are: Strong Routine Immunization, well Conducted
Pulse Polio Rounds, Selective /Focal Mop-up rounds & a Sensitive and Responsive
AFP System.
 

The Challenge this year: Resurgence of Polio in certain parts of the country, notably
UP in the year 2002, was ascribed to the eradication efforts being afflicted with poor
quality Pulse Polio strategy & Poor routine immunization in those states. In Delhi the
Situation on Polio Programme and Routine Immunization is relatively comfortable. In
addition, our AFP surveillance System & the quality of Mop-up rounds conducted in
the state so far have been quite satisfactory. But despite this the plan in Delhi Pulse
Polio Programme this year is to ensure a very high quality Pulse Polio & to improve
the routine Immunization still further, by using the Pulse Polio booths as a window of
opportunity.

Why it is important ?

All infants below 1 year are supposed to be receiving a birth dose of ‘OPV’ called
‘zero’ dose followed by 3 doses at 6, 10 & 14 weeks of age alongside DPT 3 doses. 
Then, 1st booster of OPV is at 1 ½ year along with DPT, followed again with 2nd
booster at 4 ½ to 5 years along with DT. Now it has been proved conclusively that
pulse polio doses are complementary to the routine doses and are not a substitute to
routine polio vaccine.  The constant migration of population, the newer birth cohort in
the state and the left over about 18-20% of children (who are partly covered or
unimmunized) need to be covered effectively.
 

To sustain and improve the routine coverage of OPV it is quite an opportunity on the
Pulse Polio  day to apprise the parents about the need of routine immunization..

Likely Benefits
  Awareness  amongst community about other childhood vaccines and their
utility should improve.
 Even misconception amongst people that pulse polio is the “Be all and end
all” of all vaccines should get removed to a large extent.
 Previous unimmunized children/ dropped out children will be protected
individually and as a community. The circulation of wild polio virus load will
diminish still further and faster.
 Even the new importation of virus from adjoining states will be effectively
warded off.
 Why see a crippled child afflicted with polio virus when we can root out
the disease by simply giving the polio drops to all children under 5 years
of age.

HOPING TO SEE  INDIA POLIO FREE

MESSAGE TO PUBLIC

Parents are requested to get their children under five years protected with oral
polio vaccine drops on the following dates from any polio booth near your house.

20th June 2010 to24th June 2010

 Even sick and newborn children are to be given Polio drops.

 These drops are in addition to routine immunization doses.

 These drops are completely safe and are of highest quality.

 Repeated doses provide additional protection.

 Routine polio vaccination at birth, 6weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks of age is

also essential.

 Polio Eradication efforts will continue till we achieve the “Goal of Polio
Eradication”.

 Socially spirited individuals & organizations are invited to actively participate

in this programme.

For any clarification/query, please contact Dr. Gopal Krishna-State

Immunization Officer, S.H.S, Patna, Bihar ,

Contact No.:9470003014    
Malegaon child affected with polio virus type 1

STAFF WRITER 20:40 HRS IST

Malegaon/Mumbai, Feb 6 (PTI) A one-and-a-half-year old boy has been afflicted with
wild polio virus type I (PV 1), which was thought to be eradicated from Maharashtra
four years ago, in Jeitunpura in Malegaon district.

Polio virus type I has resurfaced after so many years and was confirmed yesterday,
local civic health officer Bharat Wagh told PTI today.

18-month-old Mohammed Kasir Asararar Ahmed was admitted to the civil hospital
on January 18 with Acute Flaccid Paralysis and as per polio eradication and
surveillance programme and his stool sample was sent to Mumbai for confirmation.

"We received the confirmation note day before yesterday that it was wild PV1 day.
After several years, the P-1 strain of polio virus case re-surfaced in Maharashtra and
was confirmed by the Indian council of Medical Research laboratory in Mumbai,"
Wagh said.

"However, the genetic link to the virus is yet to be established.

Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance

Nationwide AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) surveillance is the gold standard for
detecting cases of poliomyelitis. The four steps of surveillance are:

1. finding and reporting children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)

2. transporting stool samples for analysis
3. isolating and identifying poliovirus in the laboratory
4. mapping the virus to determine the origin of the virus strain.

Environmental surveillance
Environmental surveillance involves testing sewage or other environmental samples
for the presence of poliovirus. Environmental surveillance often confirms wild
poliovirus infections in the absence of cases of paralysis. Systematic environmental
sampling (e.g. in Egypt and Mumbai, India) provides important supplementary
surveillance data. Ad-hoc environmental surveillance elsewhere (especially in polio-
free regions) provides insights into the international spread of poliovirus.

Surveillance indicators
 Indicator Minimum levels for certification standard surveillance
At least 80% of expected routine (weekly or monthly) AFP
surveillance reports should be received on time, including zero
Completeness of
reports where no AFP cases are seen. The distribution of reporting
reporting 
sites should be representative of the geography and demography of
the country
At least one case of non-polio AFP should be detected annually per
Sensitivity of
100 000 population aged less than 15 years. In endemic regions, to
surveillance
ensure even higher sensitivity, this rate should be two per 100 000.
All AFP cases should have a full clinical and virological
investigation with at least 80% of AFP cases having ‘adequate’
Completeness of stool specimens collected. ‘Adequate’ stool specimens are two
case stool specimens of sufficient quantity for laboratory analysis,
investigation collected at least 24 hours apart, within 14 days after the onset of
paralysis, and arriving in the laboratory by reverse cold chain and
with proper documentation.
Completeness of At least 80% of AFP cases should have a follow-up examination
follow-up for residual paralysis at 60 days after the onset of paralysis
Laboratory All AFP case specimens must be processed in a WHO-accredited
performance laboratory within the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN)

Performance of AFP surveillance and incidence of

poliomyelitis
Weekly Epidemiological Record, 27 November 2009, 84(48): 500–503English|French

Related links
More information on surveillance
WHO-recommended surveillance standard of poliomyelitis
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance data and polio case count