Polio

Polio

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Polio-Like Illness May Hit Record High In 2016: Acute Flaccid Myelitis Paralyzes Children; 32 New Cases Reported This Year
After an official outbreak of Acute Flaccid Myelitis two years ago, the polio-like illness may hit record highs in the U.S. in 2016.
Are Vaccines Necessary? Pediatricians Say ‘Yes,’ But More Parents Believe Otherwise
Why have some parents chosen to not vaccinate their children?
$Pakistan remains a hotbed for polio, years after the rest of the world (aside from Afghanistan) completely eradicated the disease. The country continues to have a high number of polio cases due to barriers preventing vaccination efforts, primarily violence against health workers and a hesitance among locals to trust a Western excursion of immunization.According to the WHO, polio cases have decreased by 99 percent since 1988 thanks to widespread immunization efforts. However, that doesn’t mean the world is completely free of worry. “[A]s long as a single child remains infected with poliovirus, children in all countries are at risk of contracting the disease,” the WHO notes. “The poliovirus can easily be imported into a polio-free country and can spread rapidly amongst unimmunized populations.”In a new VICE video, the narrator notes that a fraction of parents in Pakistan are often wary or fearful of having their children vaccinated, concerned that immunization is a “foreign plot to harm Muslims.” Health workers and Pakistani officials have attempted to combat community opposition through awareness campaigns, but at times they’ve even had to resort to arresting parents for refusing to vaccinate their kids. In 2015, 471 parents were arrested for denying polio vaccinations.In addition to cultural barriers, violence is still possibly the biggest deterrent of immunization campaigns. Attacks carried out by the Taliban have targeted polio workers since 2012, killing hundreds of people. As a result of these obstacles, Pakistan had the most new cases of polio last year, while Afghanistan has nearly succeeded in eradicating the virus.In the hopes of improving vaccination rates in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the WHO recently undertook a switch of vaccine shots — from one that protects against type 1, type 2, and type 3 polio to a bivalent one that targets only type 1 and type 3. They chose to switch because polio type 2 transmission has been eradicated since 1999, and it’s possible that a weakened type 2 virus in the blood may cause vaccine-derived infections. Health officials hope the switch will aid in Pakistan’s fight against polio.$
Pakistan Is The Only Country In The World With A Rampant Polio Problem, Due To Vaccination Barriers: VICE
Pakistan had the highest number of new polio cases in the world last year.
Latest Battle To Wipe Out Polio Begins With Vast Vaccine Switch
In a huge immunization effort in 150 countries, health teams will on Sunday launch what they hope will be the final push against polio.
Scientists Advocate Need For New, Safer Polio Vaccines To Prevent Outbreaks After Its Eradication
A team of researchers believe they've created a safer version of the polio vaccine to be used once the disease is finally eradicated in the wild.
Ukraine's Polio Outbreak: Why We Should Be Concerned About The First Cases In Europe Since 2010
Two cases of polio were confirmed in Ukraine earlier this year, but it could signal a larger outbreak among unvaccinated children.
WHO Experts Signal Victory Over One Of Three Polio Strains
The World Health Organization now recommends switching to a polio vaccine that only targets types 1 and 3, as type 2 has not been detected since 1999.
Ukraine Outbreak Brings Polio Back To Europe, WHO Says
Two children in southwestern Ukraine have been paralyzed by polio, the first outbreak of the disease in Europe since 2010.
Man's Mutated Polio Virus Remains In Gut For 30 Years
A man's polio vaccine mutated in his gut into a much more virulent strain of the virus and has caused concern for eradication efforts.

Conditions

A-C

D-F

G-I

J-L

M-O

P-R

S-T

U-Z