Polio this week as of 7 December 2016
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) has published its most recent recommendations: in light of the global supply constraints of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), SAGE strongly recommended that countries start preparing for two doses of fractional IPV (fIPV) in lieu of a single full dose. Various studies have now demonstrated that two doses of fIPV is better than one full dose of IPV at boosting not just humoral immunity, but in OPV-primed populations also mucosal immunity (critical to interrupting virus transmission in a community). This approach could significantly improve the global IPV supply situation, by reducing the volume of IPV needed to cover a population. Some countries are already increasing their use of fIPV, both in routine and supplementary immunization activities. FIPV, alongside OPV, has also been shown to be an effective tool in outbreak settings and can be operationally implemented even in supplementary immunization activities.
Health workers in conflict-affected areas continue to work towards containment of poliovirus and surveillance in the face of tremendous security challenges. Accounts of their work formed a highlight of the meeting of the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean last week on next steps to implement the WHO Global Action Plan for Poliovirus Containment (GAP III) and its newly released Containment Certification Scheme (CCS) and to update National Action Plans for containment. Polio National Certification Chairs, National Coordinators for containment and major laboratories and facilities were in attendance.