Effectiveness of New Oral Polio Vaccines in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Bivalent oral polio vaccine was noninferior to monovalent vaccine, but low coverage in some areas has led to decreased population immunity.

Wild-type poliovirus serotype 2 has been eradicated globally, but serotypes 1 and 3 continue to circulate. Although trivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV) remains the product of choice in routine vaccination programs, the inclusion of serotype 2 reduces effectiveness against serotypes 1 and 3. Monovalent and bivalent OPVs developed to deal with this problem have been used effectively in India. Despite introduction of these newer vaccines in Pakistan and Afghanistan, poliomyelitis incidence has increased.

To determine why, investigators conducted a matched case-control study involving children aged ≤14 years in Pakistan and Afghanistan who developed acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) between 2001 and 2011. Children with AFP and with wild-type poliovir…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine