Injectible polio vaccine to be used in UP to contain disease

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) In view of the 498 cases of polio being reported in the country, the government is plans to introduce Injectible Polio Vaccine (IPV) in nine polio endemic districts of Uttar Pradesh to contain the crippling disease.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said here that on the advice of India Advisory Group on Polio the decision has been taken to use IPV in UP in the first phase in view of the high prevalence of polio there. Of the 498 case reported this year 480 were from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar alone while the rest were from Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal.

He said Uttar Pradesh had the maximum incidence of P1 polio virus infection which was more virulent while two such cases were reported from Bihar so containing the disease there was crucial He said the IPV would not be used in other places as the its global production was very limited and have could not be used everywhere.

Moreover, it was also very costly which makes it very difficult to afford in a developing country like India. At present India is not producing IPV and WHO supplies this vaccine as it is highly effective against the crippling disease polio, he added.

The health minister said pentavelent vaccines of DPT, Hepatitis B and Heb would be introduced in ten states next year where the immunization coverage and disease surveillance was already high. It would be introduced in UP and Bihar only in the second phase by 2010 where the vaccine would have IPV, DPT and Hepatitis B.

According to Dr Ramadoss, the country has made tremendous progress in containing polio and immunized millions of children.

He said most of the polio cases reported this year had already been given polio drops due to which the impact of the disease was not very severe in these children. However, since disease occurred despited being given polio drops, the decision to use Injectible polio vaccine was taken.

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