Only 82.5% of children under the age of 12 months received all three doses of polio vaccine

Poliomyelitis is a devastating disease which, thanks to vaccination, has already been controlled worldwide. Peru is no exception; However, lax vaccination efforts could lead to a new outbreak in the country. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), only 82.5% of children under the age of 12 months have received three doses of the polio vaccine.

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According to the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Control of Disease at the Ministry of Health (Minsa), Peru has been free of polio since 1991. This milestone was achieved thanks to an aggressive vaccination campaign throughout of the country, which allowed this terrible disease. delete

New contagion in Peru after 30 years

Thirty years after the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) declared Peru free of polio, an infection was reported in Loreto, in a child who had not been vaccinated. This case once again raises a warning signal about the low vaccination rates and the precarious living conditions of the population, since the virus spreads mainly in “areas with poor hygiene and poor sanitation systems” according to the WHO.

“Polio is a very serious infectious disease that can cause death or leave very serious injuries in affected patients. It is important not to undermine the efforts of thousands of health professionals to eradicate this virus from the country. To do this, the key is to continue with a proactive vaccination strategy,” said Daniel Escobar, Sanofi’s Medical Director for Latin America.

What is polio?

Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease caused by the virus of the same name. Although it is asymptomatic in most cases, when symptoms appear it can be devastating.

According to PAHO, between 5 and 10% of infected patients show flu-like symptoms. However, in less than 1% of cases, the virus can destroy parts of the nervous system, causing permanent injury or even death.

Polio is usually spread through infected sewage, but cases have also been found through respiratory secretions.

Vaccination

The vaccine is the only solution against polio, but that does not mean that this method cannot be improved. Since 1991, enough progress has been made to develop an even more effective vaccine.

The traditional oral vaccine, which is still maintained in several places, is very special, when the activated virus is given, the person can put it out of their distribution, opening possibility of infection in rare cases. In fact, in the last 20 years, eight cases of poliovirus that came from the oral vaccine have been found.

How do you get rid of polio?

The most effective alternative is the hexavalent acellular vaccine which, when administered by injection, avoids the risk of oral vaccination. In addition, it protects against polio and five other infectious diseases.

“Prevention strategies in the field of health are always aimed at improving people’s protection and reducing any kind of risk. Hexavalent acellular vaccines are a milestone that guarantees greater safety for the child and, in addition, being acellular, they generate less adverse effects, such as inflammation or symptoms,” concluded the Dr. Escobar.

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