Question 7: What is Pulse Polio Programme of Government of India? What is OPV? Why is it that India is yet to eradicate Polio?
Answer:
Pulse Polio is an immunization campaign established by the Government of India in 1995-96 to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) in India by vaccination all children under the age of five years orally against polio virus.
This project deals with the efficient ways to fight with poliomyelitis through holding the large scale immunization programme, co- operating with various international institutions, state governments and the Non- Governmental Organizations too. In 1995, by following the polio eradication initiates of World Health Organization (1988), India launched huge Pulse Polio Immunization program along with the Universal Immunization Program which aimed at their 100% coverage.
Having mate on unprecedented progress in polio eradication, India is now gearing up to be declared polio free by 2014 by guarding itself against the import of polio virus from neighbouring countries and by boosting routine immunization.
Oral Polio Vaccine
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is a live- attenuated vaccine that is produced by the passage of the virus through the non- human cells at a sub- physiological temperature that produces spontaneous mutations in their viral genome.
OPV also proved to be superior in administration, elimination the need for sterile syringes and making the vaccine more suitable for mass vaccination campaigns. OPV also provides long lasting immunity than the Salk vaccine.
One dose of OPV produces immunity to all three poliovirus serotypes in approximately 50% of recipients. India is yet to eradicate polio because inspite of many initiatives taken by government, few cases has reported.
The last reported cases of polio in India was in West Bengal and Gujrat on 13 January 2011. Earlier this year, the WHO (World Health Organization) had removed India from the list of polio- endemic countries. If no fresh case is reported till 2014, this country will be declared as polio free.
July 30 in year 2013, a nine month old boy from Navi Mumbai has been found positive for vaccine- Derived Polio- virus (VDPV) type 2 and he was on ventilator at Bj Wadia Hospital in Parel east. This is the fourth such case that have been recorded in the country that year.
In India the main stage in the eradication of polio had been the refusal of polio vaccine by certain communities on account of illiteracy and misinformation.
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