Articles

NOT DOING A SMALL THING, WOULD MAKE BIG DIFFERENCE IN LIFE.

Polio vaccination is a must for Child’s healthy future.

So, many children we see who are partially paralyzed or totally paralyzed have to live with it through their entire life as it is incurable. The condition is due to negligence on the part of the parents. If they had been administered with polio vaccination, one of the simplest of the things that could be done, the child could be enjoying life like so many other children.

When the parents are the poorest of the poor, a majority of Indian population, or that poor people live in a remote rural area, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure basic right of the child to live a quality life is protected.

Polio is a disease caused by a germ that lives in the throat and intestines. It is most often spread through contact with the stool (bowel movement) of an infected person. Polio germs can also be spread through food and water. The disease mainly affects children under 5 years old, but unvaccinated people of any age are at risk.

According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), only 4 countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan) remain polio-endemic with indigenous poliovirus circulation. Angola, Chad, Democratic republic of Congo, Southern Sudan are suspected to have re-established transmission of poliovirus. Several more countries had ongoing outbreaks in 2010 due to importations of poliovirus till polio endemic countries.

Most people infected with the poliovirus have no symptoms, but in some people the infection causes paralysis and even death. Until the 1950s, polio crippled thousands of children in industrialized countries. Soon after the introduction of effective vaccines in the late 1950s (IPV) and early 1960s (OPV), polio was brought under control and practically eliminated as a public health problem in industrialized countries and developed countries. UNICEF and WHO have been working very closely with governments in Developing countries and under developed countries to keep this dreaded disease under check. The disease is preventable through proper vaccination at right time.

What is polio?

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a serious illness caused by the polio virus. The virus first infects the gut, but then travels to the nervous system and can cause a meningitis-like illness. This may leave permanent damage to some nerves. This can lead to wasting of some muscles and can sometimes cause paralysis of the arms or legs. The illness can seriously affect breathing in some people and may even lead to death.

The vaccine:

For young children, polio vaccine is normally part of the combined DTAP-Polio-Hib vaccine (diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis/polio/haemophilus influenzae b vaccine) which is given as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme. For adults and teenagers who receive polio immunisation, a combined tetanus/diphtheria/polio vaccine (Td-Polio) is normally used.
The vaccine stimulates your body to make antibodies against the polio virus. These antibodies protect you from illness should you become infected with this virus.

The vaccine is safe to give if you are pregnant or breast feeding:

The polio vaccine was given as drops into the mouth until 2004. Now it is given as an injection. If you have previously started a course of polio immunisation with oral vaccine you can finish off the course with polio injections. You do not need to start again.

Polio immunisation timetable:

Polio immunisation in India is a part of child’s regular immunisation programme. A full course of polio immunisation is five doses of vaccine as follows:
Children/Adults (who have not been immunised as a child)
Primary Course: Three doses of vaccine (as DTP-Polio-Hib) at two, three and four months of age. Three doses of vaccine (as Td-Polio) each one month apart
4th dose: Three years after the primary course - as part of the DTP-Polio 'pre-school booster':5 years after the primary course (as Td-Polio)
5th dose: Aged 13-18 years - the 'school leaver booster' (as Td-Polio) 10 years after 4th dose (as Td-Polio)
The primary course of three injections gives good protection for a number of years. The fourth and fifth doses ('boosters') are needed in later years to maintain protection. After the fifth dose, immunity remains for life and you do not need any further boosters (apart from some travel situations - see below).
Are there any side effects from the polio vaccine? Slight swelling and redness at the injection site is common. A little area of hard skin may form at the injection site which usually disappears in time. Sometimes a fever occurs a few hours after the injection. Serious reactions are extremely rare.

Adults - are you immunised?

Polio is not just a childhood illness, it can affect anyone. All adults who are not immunized against polio should start by having the primary course of three polio vaccines at monthly intervals. Then have the booster doses as described above. In case one has not had a booster within the last 10 years, the person is advised o have a booster dose of vaccine if he/she to travel to certain countries. This is particularly important for health workers who intend to work in 'at risk' areas.

Why do volunteers continue to give children Polio drops, even though they have had the required three doses?

Every child during the first year of life should receive at least three routine doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OVP). However, OPV is not 100 per cent effective. Even children who have received all routine doses and pulse polio doses can get the disease. The only way to completely eliminate the risk of getting children paralyzed by polio is to completely interrupt the circulation of wild poliovirus by administration of OPV to all under-five children over a few days and repeat it a few times each year.

Does the administering of OPV lead to impotence?

OPV is one of the safest vaccines and has been used for many decades. There is no evidence that OPV may lead to impotence.

Should OPV drops be given to newborn children?

OPV drops may also be given to newborn children, even if they were born only a few hours ago.

Should a child having diarrhea or other sickness be given OPV drops?

OPV drops can also be given to children who have diarrhea or other illnesses, as it usually does not react to other drugs or antibiotics.

Is there any difference in the vaccine if it is of a different colour?

Usually, the colour of an Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is pink. However, sometimes the colour may also be yellow or white. All the vaccines are the same and this colour difference in no way affects the quality or type of vaccine.

Is there any problem with regard to the efficiency of the Polio vaccine in India?

The polio vaccine has gone through a rigorous process of testing by the WHO and the Government of India. There is no problem with the vaccine. However, sometimes, a drop in the efficacy, or effectiveness, of the vaccine may occur if it has not been maintained at the recommended temperature, as is the national protocol. The strict discipline and rigorous monitoring system built into the cold chain ensures that this does not happen.

To help prevent polio and other diseases, follow these tips to help make food and drink choices:
Eat foods that are fully cooked and served hot.
Eat and drink only dairy products that have been pasteurized.
Eat only fruits and vegetables that you can wash with safe water and peel yourself.
Drink only bottled or boiled water or beverages that have been bottled and sealed (water, carbonated drinks, or sports drinks). Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice. If this is not possible, learn how to make water safer to drink.

For more travel health information, see the Destinations section and search for the country you are planning to visit.

India had been the world’s largest polio endemic country until introduction of National Immunization Days (NIDs) in 1995; an estimated 35,000 children were paralyzed by polio each year in India. Post introduction of strong polio Immunisation programmes, India has made tremendous strides and is now recording the lowest levels of polio virus.

Polio has been eradicated from most of the world using several key strategies. The following strategies are important components in the National Polio Eradication Programme:

(a) Routine immunization: Sustaining high levels of coverage with 3 doses of oral polio vaccine in the 0-1 year age group.

(b) Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs): Simultaneous administration of oral polio vaccine to all children in the age group of 0-5 years, 4-6 weeks apart to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission and to increase immunity amongst children.

National Immunization Days (NIDs) when the entire country is covered.
Sub National Immunization Days (SNIDs) when some states or parts of
States are covered. Mop-ups are conducted, as soon as possible after identification of the virus as an end game strategy to interrupt transmission, when virus transmission is focalized and polio cases are found in specific areas.

The basic aim of conducting SIAs is to reach all under five children with potent vaccine in each round. The main strategy to achieve this is by offering:

(i) Immunization to all children at booths on the first day and

(ii) Follow up on missed children through house-to-house immunization
teams and

(iii) Immunize children in transit through transit teams deployed throughout
the duration of booth and house to house immunization activity.

(c) Surveillance and investigation of cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).
Surveillance data is used to identify areas of wild poliovirus transmission and to guide immunization activities. Whole world is united despite other differences in the efforts to eradicate Polio.
Situation in India:

In India, vaccination against polio was initiated in 1978 under Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and the coverage achieved by 1984 was around 40% of all infants with 3 doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). In 1985 the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was launched and implemented in phased manner to cover all districts in the country by 1989-90. During 1986 the UIP was accorded the status of a Technology Mission under the banner of the Technology Mission on Immunization.
Like all viral vaccines, oral polio vaccine is also unstable. It’s potency, which means it’s capacity to give adequate prophylactic protection against polio disease, decreases progressively over the course of time. The higher the temperature to which the vaccine is exposed, the more rapid is it’s loss of effectiveness. The Vaccine should be transported and stored under controlled temperature and conditions. People should be aware of the technicalities involved in protecting the vaccine for guaranteed effectiveness. Even the two drops which are administered may not fall correctly in the mouth for proper swallowing by the child. Therefore, one major threat lurking constantly is the possible outbreak of polio infection, should the cold chain fail to work.

WHO suggests the administration of three doses of OPV followed by one dose of inactivated inject able vaccine in India. However, inactivated inject able polio vaccine programme is far more difficult in a large populous country like ours. Therefore, experts feel that the risk benefit ratio still does not prompt us to use inject able vaccine instead of oral vaccine in India.

While polio has been eradicated in many countries, India continues to figure in the list of 10 countries in which polio continues to exist.

Situation in Tamilnadu:

The Tamil Nadu government has been very vigorous and strictly follows the WHO guidelines to the letter. There are more than 40,000 booths and transit booths are set up at various places, including government hospitals, Primary Health Centers, railway stations, bus stands, airports and places of worship established by the government to administer polio drops as part of the Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) on January 23 and February 27. of Polio . More than 7 million children are expected to be immunized.

A latest Government release says that all children under the age of five years will be administered polio drops on these days irrespective of their previous immunization status. milnadu is a forerunner among the states in India in progressing towards total eradication.

The South Indian star Sneha is contributing to the cause by involving in the promotion of Polio immunisation programme; joining hands with the Pondicherry Rotary Club at the SRM University in a fund raiser event. She photographed with the Rotarians for a consideration of donatioin of Rs. 5000 for the cause; and she too made the contribution of Rs. 10,000 for the polio eradication campaign. The iconic actor Amitabh Bachchan has been part of the campaign for a long time now and even cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has campaigned for

For More Information:

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative comprises the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), national ministries of health, and other partners.
See the Global Polio Eradication Initiative website for more information. For additional information about these outbreaks, see the Monthly Situation Reports.