Injectable polio vaccine drive begins today

LAHORE
Punjab will formally introduce injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in routine immunisation in 36 districts across the province from 1st July (today).
Punjab EPI Director Dr Munir Ahmed said the introduction of IPV came as a milestone in polio’s endgame strategies and was part of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 developed in consultation with stakeholders, polio-infected countries, partners and global advisory bodies.
He added the plan envisaged introduction of at least one dose of IPV in the routine immunisation programmes of the 126 countries currently using Trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (TOPV).
Before making it part of the routine Immunisation programme, the IPV was introduced in selected High Risk Union Councils from June 8 to 16.
The IPV will be given as a single dose with Pentavalent III and PCV III at children of 14 weeks of age.
With this development, the IPV formally becomes part of the larger plan for nine vaccine preventable disease, under the umbrella of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation.
Dr Munir Ahmed said introduction of IPV in routine immunisation went in line with the government’s strong emphasis on polio eradication. He said polio had become a national embarrassment and featured high on the government priorities hence was declared a national emergency.
He said the introduction of IPV synchronised with the government’s renewed emphasis on taking routine immunisation at par with other countries in the region.
“Punjab is eying 90 per cent routine immunisation coverage by the end of next year and if that happens, the dream of achieving complete polio eradication may well be in sight,” he added.
Elaborating further, he said: “Multiple studies have shown that IPV given to the children who have also received OPV as well, makes the best combination to boost immunity.
The IPV and the OPV go hand in hand wherever the complete eradication was achieved. The OPV still is mainly used to eradicate polio”.
This means that individual children are better protected from polio virus. That is why a child should be given one dose of IPV and continue to receive OPV as many times as it is offered,” he added.
Dr Munir Ahmed said no polio case had been reported from Punjab so far in the current year. The province accounted for just 4 cases out of a total of 306 in the country in 2014.