HYDERABAD: Even as India declared itself as polio-free two days ago for no reported cases of polio for three consecutive years, the polio vaccine will nevertheless continue to be a part of the routine immunization programme, experts in the city said.
However, the conventional oral polio vaccine is likely to be phased out gradually and replaced with the injectable vaccine. Doctors said that the polio vaccination drive has to continue to avoid resurgence of the debilitating disease. "Neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan still have polio. We therefore need to be very careful now," said Dr Manmohan Reddy, a senior paediatrician and member of Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
Paediatricians in the private sector have already started to recommend the injectable polio vaccine. According to Dr Jagdish Chandra, the government too is considering replacing the oral vaccine with the injectable. "People who can afford are taking the injectable vaccine though it has not reached the expected level," the paediatrician said.
In AP, the last polio case was detected from the East Godavari district in July 2008, officials from the state health department said. Two rounds of polio immunization, slated to cover 96 lakh children in the age group of 0 to 5 years, will be held across Andhra Pradesh on January 19 and February 23 this year.
"After the second round on February 23, the Government of India team along with other partners and technical experts will review the national polio immunization programme. They are likely to redesign the existing programme," said Dr K Narsinga Rao, joint director, child health and immunization.
Officials said, this year, there will be more emphasis on migrants and slums that house a large chunk of the high risk population.
Polio is a viral, infectious disease which primarily spreads through the fecal-oral route. It usually infects children under the age of five. Though eliminated in most countries, it still causes paralysis and death in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Source: Times of India
However, the conventional oral polio vaccine is likely to be phased out gradually and replaced with the injectable vaccine. Doctors said that the polio vaccination drive has to continue to avoid resurgence of the debilitating disease. "Neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan still have polio. We therefore need to be very careful now," said Dr Manmohan Reddy, a senior paediatrician and member of Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
Paediatricians in the private sector have already started to recommend the injectable polio vaccine. According to Dr Jagdish Chandra, the government too is considering replacing the oral vaccine with the injectable. "People who can afford are taking the injectable vaccine though it has not reached the expected level," the paediatrician said.
In AP, the last polio case was detected from the East Godavari district in July 2008, officials from the state health department said. Two rounds of polio immunization, slated to cover 96 lakh children in the age group of 0 to 5 years, will be held across Andhra Pradesh on January 19 and February 23 this year.
"After the second round on February 23, the Government of India team along with other partners and technical experts will review the national polio immunization programme. They are likely to redesign the existing programme," said Dr K Narsinga Rao, joint director, child health and immunization.
Officials said, this year, there will be more emphasis on migrants and slums that house a large chunk of the high risk population.
Polio is a viral, infectious disease which primarily spreads through the fecal-oral route. It usually infects children under the age of five. Though eliminated in most countries, it still causes paralysis and death in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Source: Times of India
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