Polio remains a dangerous infectious disease that affects the nervous system and can lead to incurable paralysis or even death. The most vulnerable group are children under 5 years of age who have not received a full course of vaccinations and do not have developed immunity.
In accordance with the updated National Immunization Schedule, Ukraine is changing its approach to polio immunization. There has been a complete transition to the use of inactivated («inactive») polio vaccine (IPV). The oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the form of drops will no longer be used.
The vaccination schedule now consists of 5 doses, which are administered at the ages of 2, 4, 6, 18 months, and 6 years. Revaccination at the age of 14 is canceled. All scheduled vaccinations according to the Calendar are free of charge.
The danger of polio lies in the difficulty of detecting infected people: in 70% cases, the infection is asymptomatic. However, an infected person, even without signs of the disease, secretes the pathogen, which poses a serious threat to those around them, especially to people with weaker immunity and unvaccinated individuals.
In some cases, symptoms may resemble the flu: fever, headache, nausea, abdominal pain. In the most severe cases, the virus causes irreversible movement disorders, severe muscle pain, and complete paralysis can develop in a matter of hours. Even in the event of recovery, the functions of the affected nerves and muscles are not restored.
The virus is transmitted from person to person through feces and saliva, and infection most often occurs through dirty hands, infected food, and water.
Thanks to the WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched in 1988, the number of cases in the world has decreased by 99%. However, the "wild" virus continues to circulate in two countries around the world. There are also countries that have outbreaks caused by the type 2 virus. This creates a risk of their introduction into Ukraine, as already happened in 2021.
As long as the virus is circulating in the world, every unvaccinated child is at risk. Vaccination is the only reliable barrier against the disease. Contact your family doctor or pediatrician to check your child's vaccination status and catch up on any missed vaccinations.