TEHRAN – The Ministry of Health plans to launch a campaign next spring in high-risk areas to vaccinate children against polio.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that has a major impact on children under the age of 5. The virus is transmitted primarily through oral fecal routes or less frequently by common vehicles (e.g. contaminated water or food) and can enter the nervous system in the intestine. It multiplies within. It causes paralysis.
Polio can be prevented through vaccinations. Polio vaccines have been given many times and most often provide lifelong protection for children. The development of effective vaccines to prevent paralytic polio was one of the major medical breakthroughs of the 20th century.
Supplemental vaccination campaigns to eradicate polio in Iran began in 1994. Thanks to the campaign, the country has been polio-free since 2000.
However, endemic transmission of wild polioviruses remains common in two Iranian neighbours, namely Afghanistan and Pakistan. Iran is exposed to a revival of disease as frequent travel to these countries, and Afghanistan has strengthened Afghans due to political changes in Afghanistan in recent years, says Borna, a health ministry official, Alileza Reisi I quoted. As I say.
Furthermore, the fact that in 2024, the number of positivity tests for wild polioviruses in Afghanistan and Pakistan increased four and 12 times, respectively, compared to 2023, suggests that the country is extremely at risk. It shows, Raeisi pointed out.
This year, the annual door-to-door polio vaccination campaign was held in two phases, targeting children under the age of five in high-risk areas, one-monthly intervals.
The first phase was carried out from January 4th to 6th. During the campaign, approximately 840,000 Iranian and foreign children under the age of five were immunized against polio by the medical colleges of Sistan Balchestan, Carman, Fars, Hormozgan, Bucher, Hazestan and South South. Khorasan, and Yazd Provinces, Raeisi added.
He said the second phase began on February 15th and ended on February 17th.
Officials went on to say the campaign will target the rest of the spring-risk area.
The Razi Vaccine and Serum Institute produces millions of polio vaccines, saving millions of children to date.
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