Special Polio Immunisation Drive

New Delhi, July 27, 2016: WHO has been carrying out Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance where all suspected cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis are examined to rule out polio.

The suspected case in Uttar Pradesh investigated by WHO and result of the two stool samples pertaining to this case, tested in the laboratory reported that there is no poliovirus. Hence, the case is classified as Non Polio Acute Flaccid Paralysis case and the child is under treatment of district hospital, Balrampur.

Country continues to maintain highly sensitive surveillance system for Polio and maintains quality parameter checks for surveillance like non polio AFP rate, adequate stool collection rate etc. Surveillance reviews are conducted from time to time to ensure quality of surveillance. In addition, country has also started environmental surveillance in selected sites in the country to detect polio virus in sewage samples.

Government of India has already introduced inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in the country over and above existing doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to provide additional protection to children of the country against polio. In response to the event of Vaccine Derived Polio Virus detected in sewage in Hyderabad, even though there was no human case, a special immunization drive was carried out in high risk areas of Hyderabad as a preventive measure to build population immunity and 3,11,000 children were vaccinated with a dose of IPV.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Faggan Singh Kulaste stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.