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. 2021 Oct 1;70(39):1359-1364.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7039a1.

Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication - Pakistan, January 2020-July 2021

Chukwuma Mbaeyi, Shahzad Baig, Zainul Khan, Hamish Young, Millhia Kader, Jaume Jorba, Muhammad Rana Safdar, Hamid Jafari, Richard Franka

Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication - Pakistan, January 2020-July 2021

Chukwuma Mbaeyi et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

When the Global Polio Eradication Initiative began in 1988, wild poliovirus (WPV) transmission was occurring in 125 countries; currently, only WPV type 1 (WPV1) transmission continues, and as of August 2021, WPV1 transmission persists in only two countries (1,2). This report describes Pakistan's progress toward polio eradication during January 2020-July 2021 and updates previous reports (3,4). In 2020, Pakistan reported 84 WPV1 cases, a 43% reduction from 2019; as of August 25, 2021, Pakistan has reported one WPV1 case in 2021. Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) emerges as a result of attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) virus regaining neurovirulence after prolonged circulation in underimmunized populations and can lead to paralysis. In 2019, 22 cases of cVDPV type 2 (cVDPV2) were reported in Pakistan, 135 cases were reported in 2020, and eight cases have been reported as of August 25, 2021. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, planned supplementary immunization activities (SIAs)* were suspended during mid-March-June 2020 (3,5). Seven SIAs were implemented during July 2020-July 2021 without substantial decreases in SIA quality. Improving the quality of polio SIAs, vaccinating immigrants from Afghanistan, and implementing changes to enhance program accountability and performance would help the Pakistan polio program achieve its goal of interrupting WPV1 transmission by the end of 2022.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Wild poliovirus type 1 and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 cases, by month — Pakistan, January 2018–July 2021 Abbreviations: cVDPV2 = circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2; WPV1 = wild poliovirus type 1.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Location of cases of wild poliovirus type 1 and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2, by province and period — Pakistan, January 2020–June 2021 Abbreviations: cVDPV2 = circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2; WPV1 = wild poliovirus type 1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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