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Inactivated Polio Vaccine to be Rolled With Routine Immunization Program in India

by Reshma Anand on Nov 30 2015 3:54 PM

Inactivated Polio Vaccine to be Rolled With Routine Immunization Program in India
Polio Eradication to gain much more caliber with the introduction of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in the routine immunization program in India. Polio is an epidemic and WHO is taking immense steps to eradicate it globally.
The IPV //vaccine has inactivated poliovirus that offers immunity to all the three polio viral strains. Union Health Minister, J. P. Nadda will roll out this vaccine alongside the oral polio vaccine on Nov 30. This scheme will be currently administered to all newborns at age 14 weeks as a single dose in the ongoing routine immunization program in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

WHO has planned to roll out its global polio eradication plan by shifting the current regime of trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (tOPV) to bivalent OPV in April 2016. IPV in combination with OPV will quickly boost immunity against poliovirus and offer double protection.

“IPV is a mandatory requirement before the WHO global switch from trivalent to bivalent OPV. Trivalent OPV offers immunity against all three strains of polio virus, P1, P2 and P3. On the other hand, bivalent OPV offers immunity only against P1 and P3 strains. IPV will cover the risk of shift by maintaining population’s immunity against type-2 poliovirus,” said a top health ministry official.

The Health Ministry is ready with about 40 million doses of IPV which Global Alliance on Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) is funding for the initial rollout in India. In the first quarter of 2016, it will be expanded to the other Northern and North-eastern States and in the second quarter, will encompass the four southern states and Maharashtra.

Source-Medindia


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