Officials in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district are on high alert after a case of vaccine-derived polio was confirmed in a two-year-old child from Tikrikilla. This type of polio is not wild polio but results from the vaccine virus mutating in individuals with low immunity. India was declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation in 2014, with the last wild poliovirus case reported in 2011.
Health authorities detected symptoms of acute flaccid paralysis in the child over a week ago. Stool and other samples were sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology for testing. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma emphasized the severity of the situation and noted it is under close review.
This rare complication, known as circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV), occurs when the oral polio vaccine (OPV)—which contains a weakened virus—circulates in severely under-immunized populations. The virus can genetically change over time, potentially causing paralysis.
Since 2000, over 10 billion doses of OPV have been administered globally, resulting in 24 cVDPV outbreaks across 21 countries and fewer than 760 cases. The World Health Organisation states that these outbreaks can be rapidly halted with two to three high-quality immunization campaigns targeting all children with the oral vaccine.
Polio symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, vomiting, and acute infections. The virus is primarily human-borne with no vector transmission involved. Health officials stress the importance of widespread immunization to prevent the spread of this virus.
This case underscores the critical need for consistent vaccination programs to maintain polio-free status and safeguard public health.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-says-meghalaya-polio-case-is-vaccine-derived/article68547351.ece
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