The World Health Organization has confirmed 10 cases of polio in Syria - the first outbreak in the country in 14 years. It’s highly likely more cases of paralysis will turn out to be polio.


Before Syria's civil war began in 2011, 95% of children in the country were vaccinated against the disease, but now around 500,000 children have missed out.


This is of course just part of the health crisis resulting from the conflict in Syria. Other vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles, typhoid and hepatitis A have all increased.


Polio has also re-emerged in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.


Not our problem ? Polio's a disease of the past, right ? Vaccination for polio isn’t needed for travellers to the Philippines !



• It’s only BECAUSE of a vaccination programme in the UK, Philippines, and most other countries that the global frequency of polio has reduced by 99% in the past 15 years. Over 10 million people are walking today who would otherwise have been paralysed !


• .Polio is highly contagious, and – bluntly – is spread by consuming food or liquid contaminated by faeces . Even though in most cases infection is not serious, 5% DO get paralysis, meningitis, and / or brain inflammation which can be fatal.


• Inactivated polio virus vaccine ( Salk ) which is injected, is now recommended, and free, in the UK, usually combined with diphtheria and other vaccines, in five doses altogether.


• In the Philippines, the “ DOH Expanded Program on Immunization “ also aims to provide free vaccines to protect infants and children from the common “ vaccine preventable diseases “, including polio, and the inactivated vaccine is preferred.


• The oral polio vaccine ( Sabin ) consisting of live “ attenuated “ ( weakened ) strains of the three virus types, is cheaper, and has its uses, containing outbreaks. It has a very small risk of “ vaccine-related polio “.


• The Global Polio Eradication Initiative aims to end all polio disease by increasing use of more affordable inactivated polio vaccines. But reaching children in the three countries where polio is endemic - Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria – is a major challenge ! Outbreaks in other countries like Syria are reminders of what may happen when vaccination is not possible. The biggest challenges to eradicating polio worldwide are conflict, political instability, public mistrust and weak health systems.



http://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...196-0/fulltext

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccina...checklist.aspx

http://www.philvaccine.org/vaccinati...ation-schedule