Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : August 11, 2022 2:55 PM IST
Since poliovirus does not respect borders, coordination between countries is essential. Efforts are being made to harmonize vaccination strategies in border areas to ensure no child is missed.
(VDPV2), which was detected in London. Meanwhile, all children between the ages of 1 and 9 in London will be given polio vaccine booster doses to further strengthen their protection against the virus.
The decision to introduce a polio booster dose programme is based on the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises UK health departments on immunisation. The health authorities believe that this will provide children a high level of protection from paralysis as well as help reduce further spread of the poliovirus.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as many as 116 type 2 poliovirus (PV2) isolates have been detected in 19 sewage samples collected from London between 8 February and 5 July this year. While most of these are vaccine-like virus, a few of them have sufficient mutations to be classified as vaccine derived poliovirus (VDPV2), which poses a greater threat.
UKHSA is currently sampling 8 sites across London, along with the country's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
As of now, the virus is believed to be present in parts of Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest.
Suggesting that there is some level of virus transmission in these boroughs, the UKHSA raised concern that it may extend to the adjacent areas.
This is because it behaves more like naturally occurring 'wild' polio and may cause paralysis in unvaccinated individuals (on rare occasions), the UKHSA said in a press release.
As mentioned in the UKHSA's statement, type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus had been discovered in sewage in north and east London. Earlier this year, the virus was detected in samples collected from the Beckton sewage treatment works. One more positive sample of the poliovirus has been identified in a recent upstream sampling. The poliovirus has also been found in areas adjacent to the Beckton catchment area to the South (immediately below the Thames) and to the east of Beckton, though in lower concentrations and frequency, UKHSA said.
However, no cases of polio have been reported, said Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA. She added that the risk is low for most of the people who are fully vaccinated.
The UK reported the last case of polio in 1984.
First, the programme will be roll out in affected areas, where the poliovirus has been detected and which have low vaccination rates, and rapidly expand across all boroughs.
This booster programme will be an addition to the NHS childhood vaccination catch-up campaign.
A dose of polio vaccine will be offered to all children aged 1 to 9 years in London, as a booster or catch-up dose.
Under this programme, the NHS will be contacting parents of eligible children for a top-up dose.
