Polio: Sustaining the Struggle

Efficacy of monovalent type 1 poliovirus vaccine was 30% per dose; a dynamic model shows the high cost of failing to eradicate wild polioviruses.

The WHO initiated the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. Despite impressive progress, transmission of wild poliovirus continues in four regions of the world. Two new studies address key challenges.

A high-potency monovalent oral type 1 poliovirus vaccine (mOPV1), aimed at preventing paralytic disease, was introduced in India in 2005. This preparation was developed for use in environments with high population density, poor sanitation, and frequent diarrheal and other infections that reduce the effectiveness of trivalent live poliovirus vaccine and favor wild-poliovirus transmission. Working in areas of India with persistent wild poliovirus transmission, Grassly and colleagues conducted a case-control study to assess the efficacy of …

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Polio: Sustaining the Struggle

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Reviewing Author