World Polio Day

1. Oral polio vaccine – contains the virus itself in a weakened dose, but sill alive.
2. Inactivated Polio Vaccine IPV – a killed version of the virus.  This is the type given in the US since 2000.  The CDC recommends that children get four doses of polio vaccine. They should get one dose at each of the following ages: 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 through 18 months old, and 4 through 6 years old. Children who have not completed their polio vaccinations should see their healthcare professional to complete the vaccine series

• New vaccine nOPV2 vaccine (Bio Farma, Indoniesia) – Type 2 novel oral polio vaccine.  It is believed that this new vaccine will help eliminate vaccine derived polio. Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) 2022-26 strategy accelerates rollout of this new tool.
  • Novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2

    To better address the evolving risk of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2), GPEI partners together with countries are deploying an innovative tool – novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). The vaccine is a modified version of the type 2 monovalent OPV (mOPV2), which clinical trials have shown provides comparable protection against poliovirus while being more genetically stable and less likely to be associated with the emergence of cVDPV2 in low immunity settings. This means that nOPV2 has the potential to be a significant tool to help stop outbreaks more sustainably.

    nOPV2 is being deployed under WHO’s Emergency Use Listing procedure (EUL) to enable its rapid field availability. Even after meeting rigorous EUL criteria for safety and immunogenicity, nOPV2’s performance in the field is being closely monitored in line with EUL standards and data collection continues with the ultimate goal of WHO prequalification and full licensure To read more, click here.

• Herd immunity – if we adequately vaccinate a population in an area, it will stop the disease from spreading.

Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease. The spread of disease from person to person becomes unlikely when herd immunity is achieved. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.

Often, a percentage of the population must be capable of getting a disease in order for it to spread. This is called a threshold proportion. If the proportion of the population that is immune to the disease is greater than this threshold, the spread of the disease will decline. This is known as the herd immunity threshold.

What percentage of a community needs to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity? It varies from disease to disease. The more contagious a disease is, the greater the proportion of the population that needs to be immune to the disease to stop its spread. For example, the measles is a highly contagious illness. It's estimated that 94% of the population must be immune to interrupt the chain of transmission

1. Target pockets where vaccine coverage is low
2. Talk to communities to find solutions to get some societal and social problems of vaccine refusal
3. Support vaccination clinics in areas where there are low rates
4. Maintain environmental surveillance where wastewater is tested to see the strains of viruses within the community.  6 months prior to an outbreak, we can tell that it’s coming.

• Every district and club continue to focus on PolioPlus efforts
• Commit to increase individual and club giving by 10%
• Use social media for small or event gifts
• Start a district/club PolioPlus Society. The Polio Plus Society is an organization of like-minded Rotarians and Friends of Rotary who have committed to contribute $100 or more each and every year to Polio Plus until the world has been declared free of the Wild Polio Virus. Kris encouraged us to think about being a PolioPlus Society Club.