Islamabad — Authorities in Pakistan reported Monday that gunmen targeted vaccination teams in northwestern districts during a nationwide campaign against the paralytic poliovirus, resulting in the deaths of at least one health worker and two police officers. The violence in the militancy-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, also injured several polio workers and police … Read more
 "Virus that causes polio detected in Gaza. Why this is an urgent global health priority – Firstpost")
As war continues to devastate Gaza and its people, we learnt recently that a variant of poliovirus has been detected in the region. The virus was isolated in six sewage samples collected in late June from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. Most infections with poliovirus don’t cause symptoms, but a minority of those who … Read more
 "Why newborn screening is crucial after Kerala reports rare vaccine-derived polio case – Firstpost")
With the recent case of a child in Kerala who died from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) after contracting vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), questions arise about the safety and management of polio vaccination, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. VDPV, which emerges from mutations in the oral polio vaccine (OPV) strain, poses unique challenges compared to wild poliovirus. The … Read more
warsaw, poland — Poland’s health authorities on Monday urged polio vaccinations for children after the virus was detected in Warsaw’s sewage during regular tests this month. The state Main Sanitary Inspectorate in a statement said the presence of the virus does not necessarily mean people have been sick, but those who have not been vaccinated … Read more
 "The disastrous fallout of Taliban’s suspension of polio vaccines in Afghanistan – Firstpost")
Afghanistan is one of only two countries, alongside neighbouring Pakistan, where polio has continued to spread. So the news that the Taliban have suspended polio vaccination will probably have major consequences for the control of the disease in the country and the surrounding region read more The Taliban recently announced that they are suspending its … Read more
The World Health Organization said Friday that the necessary second round of child polio vaccinations in northern Gaza would begin on Saturday, after Israeli bombing had halted the drive. The announcement that the final phase of polio vaccination in the Gaza Strip can go ahead came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken … Read more
Islamabad — Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan simultaneously launched fresh vaccination campaigns against polio Monday amid a resurgence in cases in the only two countries globally where the virus continues to be endemic and paralyze children. The World Health Organization reported 64 polio infections this year: 41 from Pakistan and 23 from Afghanistan, up from six … Read more
Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, the top cleric in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, has seen up close the devastating effects of polio. Two of his own kin were once paralyzed, victims of a scourge that has been vanquished worldwide yet refuses to go away from Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. “Had their parents not neglected [to have their … Read more
The naturally occurring form of polio remains active in only two countries in the world: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 50 cases of so-called wild polio have been confirmed in the region this year despite continuing efforts to eradicate the disease. This report comes from both sides of the border, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. Read original … Read more
Health officials say there have been six cases of polio reported in Ivory Coast in 2023, and one so far this year. It doesn’t seem like many, but any polio cases are cause for concern among health officials trying to completely eradicate the disease. VOA’s Yassin Ciyow reports from Abidjan, in this story narrated by … Read more
