Poliomyelitis

Polio vaccination

For 2020, in Russia, polio vaccination is carried out for all children free of charge under the compulsory medical insurance policy within the framework of the National Vaccination Calendar, approved by the Ministry of Health in 2014. In the first year of life, vaccination is carried out three times - in time 3; 4.5 and 6 months of life. In the second year, twice - at 18 and 20 months. And the latter - at the age of 14.

"Currently developed polio vaccines create persistent immunity and block the transmission of the virus from person to person," says Sergey Shkitin, an expert at the All-Russian Union of Insurers. - Compliance with the timing of vaccination in accordance with the National Vaccination Calendar is important, both for an individual and for the whole society and is a prerequisite for herd immunity from poliovirus. "

The attending physician may reasonably refuse to vaccinate against polio if the child has contraindications. These include:

• Neurological disorders that emerged with previous polio vaccination;
• Primary immunodeficiency, malignant neoplasms, immunosuppression.

Routine vaccination is delayed until the end of acute manifestations of the disease and exacerbation of chronic diseases. With mild ARVI, acute intestinal diseases, etc., vaccinations are carried out immediately after the temperature normalizes. Otherwise, the refusal of the attending physician to vaccinate is most often unreasonable. The vaccine against polio and other infections according to the National Vaccination Calendar is compatible with the vaccine against the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 [approx.: as of October 2020, studies are ongoing]. At the same time, in each specific case, the indications and contraindications to any vaccinations should be determined by the attending physician, conducting an examination of the child before vaccination.

Chronicle

2022: Polio detected in sewage in Britain Vaccination of children started

On August 11, 2022, a polio vaccination program for children aged 10 was announced in the UK. The program comes after more polioviruses were found in London's sewage, suggesting the virus has already spread across the city.

Back in June 2022, the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) reported the discovery of several samples of the "vaccine-derived" poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) in one London wastewater treatment center. This finding was significant because the identified samples were detected within months, and genetic analysis of the samples suggested that there was a degree of collective transmission of the virus between several individuals.

Polio was found in sewage in Britain. Emergency vaccination of children started

A subsequent UKHSA report announced a citywide polio vaccination programme for all children under the age of 10. The supplemental vaccination program will use a polio vaccine containing an inactivated form of the virus, and it will be administered to all children, including those who received the primary three-dose polio vaccination at newborn age.

The need for an urgent new vaccination programme has emerged following new reports of polio in sewage samples found in at least eight more London boroughs. According to UKHSA, 116 isolates of poliovirus type 2 (PV2) were identified before the beginning of July 2022.

{{quote 'The amount of poliovirus detected and the high genetic diversity among the isolates PV2 suggests that there is a certain level of virus transmission in these areas that can spread to surrounding areas, the UKHSA said in a statement. This suggests that the transmission of the virus has gone beyond a narrow circle of persons. }} {{quote 'So far, no polio cases have been reported and for the majority of the population who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low, "said Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA. But we know that areas of London where poliovirus is transmitted have one of the lowest vaccination rates. That is why the virus spreads in these areas and puts those residents who have not been fully^[1] at greater risk^[2] }}

2021: Chumakov Center: Russian polio vaccine protects against COVID-19

In early May 2021, the Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immunobiological Preparations named after M.P. Chumakov RAS announced that he had proven the effectiveness of the polio vaccine as a means of combating the coronavirus COVID-19.

We gave volunteers a live polio vaccine and as a result, we received a sharp decrease in the incidence in this group. We proved this question, - said the director of the center Aydar Ishmukhametov on the air of the TV channel "Russia 1."

According to him, the study was conducted in Kirov, 600 people participated in it. But scientists at the Chumakov Center have left the vaccination against polio "aside as, let's say, a" rapid-response "option," he added.

The Chumakov center found out that the Russian polio vaccine protects against COVID-19

Scientists have previously expressed the opinion that not only antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the penetration of a virus or an anti-measles vaccine can protect against COVID-19. There is also nonspecific immunity - reactions of the body's immune system in response to invasion of any pathogens. Back in the 1960s, the famous Soviet virologist, academician Mikhail Chumakov, whose name goes by the scientific center, studying ways to protect against polio, suggested that a live anti-polyomyelitis vaccine could mitigate the course of influenza. Scientists of the Chumakov Center decided to check the same mechanism in relation to the coronavirus COVID-19.

By May 2021, the center is the only Russian manufacturer of live polio vaccines and the only Russian supplier to WHO and UNICEF.

There are two polio vaccine options in the world: inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). The latter consists of living, weakened strains. According to the World Health Organization, after receiving three doses of the drug, a person acquires lifelong immunity.^[3]

1957

Ziegfeld Follies Showgirls line up in Ziegfeld Theatre locker room to get Salk polio vaccine shot

Their costumes made this process easy for the doctor. Girls, left to right: Denise Colletts, Gloria Christy, Charlotte Foley, and Nancy Westbrook. New York, March 27, 1957.]]

1955: Jonas Salk creates polio vaccine

Until 1955, polio was one of the most dangerous infections - only in the United States about 3 thousand people died from it a year - and probably would have remained so if Jonas Salk had not refused to patent his vaccine: as a result, the medicine was available to millions of people, and the incidence of polio over several years decreased by 96%.

Jonas Salk, creator of the polio vaccine, 1955.

According to Forbes, Salk could earn about $7 billion on his vaccine.

1913: Frida Kahlo suffers cerebrospinal paralysis

Renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo suffered cerebrospinal paralysis at the age of 6, resulting in her right leg thinning and shorter than her left. The girl remained lame for life.

Polio Day

October 24 around the world marks the day of the fight against polio.

Notes