Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious virus that infects the intestines and then the nervous systems in those who are infected. This virus is transmitted through fecal contamination of food or water that is then consumed. The World Health Organization provides key details about polio such as there are three types of polio (type 1, type 2, and type 3) and information about the types of vaccines. The Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is administered as oral drops and there are two different types. The trivalent OPV protects against all three types of polio and the bivalent protects against only types 1 and 3 because type 2 was globally eradicated in 1999. The other main type of polio vaccine is the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and is administered by injection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the IPV has been the only polio vaccine administered in the United States since 2000 but the OPV is more common in other countries because the oral drops do not have to be administered by a health professional. The CDC states that the IPV requires 4 doses at 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 – 18 months, and the final vaccine dose between 4 and 6 years old. The IPV vaccine protects 99 out of 100 children who receive the proper doses from the polio virus and is a required vaccine under state law for children entering school.
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published an article on October 24, 2019 that described the announcement of the eradication of the type 3 poliovirus by the World Health Organization. It has been over seven years since a type 3 poliovirus has been diagnosed and tests of fecal matter have also not found any evidence of the type 3 virus. The BMJ also describes that in Pakistan there has been violence and murder against polio vaccine workers because false videos were made that accused the polio vaccine of causing sickness and fainting. These videos were found to be made by three private schools who do not support vaccines but the impact of these videos is still influencing Pakistan. This has led to a sharp increase in children not receiving the polio vaccine.
The World Health Organization announced in November of 2019 that global leaders have pledged $2.6 billion dollars to eradicate polio and the final type 1 poliovirus strain at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum in Abu Dhabi. Polio is still found in both Pakistan and Afghanistan and the main organization that manages polio vaccination is the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The GPEI is tasked with providing access to vaccination to over 450 million children each year with the added barriers of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. The pledges are from all over the world such as from the United States, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, and many other places. The polio workers also provide other vaccines as well such as for yellow fever and measles and help information mothers of the importance of vaccinations.
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