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. 2021 Aug 27;70(34):1129-1135.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7034a1.

Progress Toward Polio Eradication - Worldwide, January 2019-June 2021

John Paul Bigouette, Amanda L Wilkinson, Graham Tallis, Cara C Burns, Steven G F Wassilak, John F Vertefeuille

Progress Toward Polio Eradication - Worldwide, January 2019-June 2021

John Paul Bigouette et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

In 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) began, polio paralyzed >350,000 children across 125 countries. Today, only one of three wild poliovirus serotypes, type 1 (WPV1), remains in circulation in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This report summarizes progress toward global polio eradication during January 1, 2019-June 30, 2021 and updates previous reports (1,2). In 2020, 140 cases of WPV1 were reported, including 56 in Afghanistan (a 93% increase from 29 cases in 2019) and 84 in Pakistan (a 43% decrease from 147 cases in 2019). As GPEI focuses on the last endemic WPV reservoirs, poliomyelitis outbreaks caused by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) have emerged as a result of attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) virus regaining neurovirulence after prolonged circulation in underimmunized populations (3). In 2020, 32 countries reported cVDPV outbreaks (four type 1 [cVDPV1], 26 type 2 [cVDPV2] and two with outbreaks of both); 13 of these countries reported new outbreaks. The updated GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 (4) includes expanded use of the type 2 novel oral poliovirus vaccine (nOPV2) to avoid new emergences of cVDPV2 during outbreak responses (3). The new strategy deploys other tactics, such as increased national accountability, and focused investments for overcoming the remaining barriers to eradication, including program disruptions and setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Number of wild poliovirus type 1 cases, by country and month of paralysis onset — worldwide, January 2019—June 2021 Abbreviation: WPV1 = wild poliovirus type 1. * Data are current as of August 3, 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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