Every October 24 marks World Polio Day. The date was set in honor of the birth Jonas Salck, creator of the first vaccine against this disease. It was a day like today, but in 1988, when World Health Assembly approve manufacture Global Initiative for Polio Eradicationpresented by World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEFCCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Rotary.

while until this year polio has been eradicated almost all over the worldThe warning arrives at a time when the regrowth ghost returns to make itself present.

In February, Malawi announced its first case in 30 years and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned of new infections while calling for vaccinations to be strengthened. In March, Israel reported its first case since 1988, and last June Britain detected the virus in its sewers. With the first half of the year already over, a New York man became the first American in nearly a decade to contract polio, while Pakistan reported 14 cases. It must be remembered that, in neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan, polio was never eradicated.

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Meanwhile, earlier this month, Argentina launched a national vaccination campaign against measles, rubella, mumps and polio; a disease that, although it has been eradicated at home, is still causing epidemics in other parts of the world.

Domestically, there are 580,000 children who are susceptible to polioTherefore, the aim of this campaign is to apply additional doses to maintain the eradication of the virus and control the disease in the country.

Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, It is a highly contagious disease caused by the polio virus.. Most poliovirus infections cause no symptoms, but 5 to 10 out of 100 people infected with the virus may have some flu-like symptoms. In 1 in 200 cases, the virus destroys part of the nervous system, causing permanent paralysis in the legs or arms. Although very rare, this virus can attack the part of the brain that helps you breathe, which can cause death.

In Argentina, the last case occurred in 1984. While the last confirmed case of polio due to wild poliovirus in the Americas occurred in 1991, in Peru. Then, in 1994, after going through the documentation and verification process, the Region of the Americas was declared free from the circulation of the wild polio virus.

However, in light of recent notification of cases in various countries around the world, in a statement, PAHO warned that the vaccination rate against poliomyelitis, the disease caused by the polio virus, will be 82% in 2020, the lowest since 1994, when the Americas were certified free of infection. According to the organization, can polio come back to america? if vaccination coverage is not greater than 95% in each municipality and community.

“The situation is alarming in the world, in the region and in this country.” consulted by infobaeinfectious disease doctor Pablo Bonvehi (MN 62648) points out that “the region contains countries with a particularly high risk of importing cases of wild or vaccine-derived polio, namely Peru, Venezuela, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.”

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As a specialist member of the Vaccine Commission and former president of the Infectious Diseases Society of Argentina (Sadi) explains, “there is a group of high-risk countries by various indicators that are taken into account to evaluate the epidemiological situation, among which are Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama and Argentina.

Finally, “there are those at moderate risk, namely Colombia and Uruguay and finally those at low risk, among them are Chile, the US, Canada, Mexico and Cuba.”

Also the head of Infectology at CEMIC and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Vaccine Foundation stated that “there are a range of indicators such as vaccination coverage -especially with the third dose of polio-, surveillance of so-called acute flaccid paralysis which is a way to detect paralysis that may be caused by the polio virus, and others that make it possible to quickly detect emerging cases of polio, which in the American context would be something imported.”

In Argentina, ALPI Civil Association is a neuromotor rehabilitation center which, for more than 78 years, has been dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies stemming from accidents, injuries or illnesses. He was born in 1943 to respond to the first polio outbreak that affected thousands of children.

On October 1, launched in Argentina a immunization campaign which is mandatory and free and will last until November 13th. But so far, 81% of girls and boys between the ages of 13 months and 4 years inclusive who must receive the vaccine have not been accompanied by their parents or caregivers to receive the appropriate dose for them at the health post, puskesmas. or in a public hospital.

Additional doses of the Triple Viral vaccine (against measles, rubella and mumps) and the IPV vaccine, which are used against poliomyelitis, should be applied. This dose should be applied to children beyond the previously received dose and a doctor’s order is not required. As of October 13, only 439,590 children had been vaccinated, according to a campaign report by the Ministry of National Health’s Directorate of Immunopreventive Diseases.

In total, 2,322,690 boys and girls had to be vaccinated in the country. However, as of the date of the report, 1,883,100 boys have not been immunized. The first week of the follow-up campaign which began on October 1, 338,472 children were vaccinated. During the second week, the application rate fell to 101,118 children. The campaign ends on November 13 next.

In the vaccinated group, the highest proportion corresponds to children aged 4 years. 21.8% of those immunized so far have received the vaccine. 15.6% of coverage corresponds to children between 13 and 23 months.

“From the Argentine Society of Pediatrics we have distributed documents for pediatricians across the country. We strongly support the continued campaign against measles, rubella, mumps and polio. It is very important to increase the coverage of all vaccines in the immunization schedule,” Dr. Gabriela Tapponnier, member of the infectious disease committee of medical entities, told Infobae.

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