OPINION EXCHANGE | Good news: Africa hasn't reported a case of polio in three years - Star Tribune

OPINION EXCHANGE | Good news: Africa hasn't reported a case of polio in three years - Star Tribune

OPINION EXCHANGE | Good news: Africa hasn't reported a case of polio in three years - Star Tribune

Posted: 29 Aug 2019 03:38 PM PDT

On Aug. 21, we turned on our computers to learn of great news from Africa. Nigeria, the last country on that continent to report cases of the wild poliovirus, had not reported a case in three years.

This means that the entire African region could be certified as free of the wild poliovirus as soon as mid-2020.

The news was especially gratifying because Nigeria came close to this milestone three years ago, before four cases of polio were uncovered in a region of northeastern Nigeria where the Boko Haram insurgency had denied access to vaccinators. We wrote at the time ("Polio nearly eradicated worldwide — nearly," Sept. 1, 2016) to outline all that had been achieved across the globe by the partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), launched in 1988 by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Rotary International. About 12 years ago, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation joined the GPEI and brought its resources, knowledge, and connections to the polio eradication effort.

In the year GPEI was launched, 1988, there were more than 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries, compared with around 66 cases so far in 2019. Now, once the success of Nigeria has been carefully confirmed, there will be only two nations in the world that remain polio-endemic: Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As the number of polio-endemic countries has declined, there have been challenges to finishing the job, including misinformation and even "fake news" about vaccines that have caused mistrust in key countries. At one point, some regions of India were refusing the vaccine because of reports that the vaccines were tainted. The government of India and its Rotary members took a hard look at their outreach and realized they needed to find trusted members in each community to work with them to provide information and get communities on board. India was officially certified polio-free in 2014.

Global efforts in health care do not operate in a vacuum. Pakistan and Afghanistan have made huge progress in recent years, but as conflicts flare on both sides of the border, refugees are displaced and it has been difficult to reach some children. Some families still refuse to vaccinate children, often because of misinformation. The key is to win the battle for the hearts and minds of parents.

We all hope and pray that Nigeria, and thus Africa, will soon be declared wild poliovirus-free. This will not be the end of the global eradication campaign, but it will be an important marker. Only one disease, smallpox, has ever been eradicated.

The time has come for all parties to unite to protect their children. Nigeria's success also shines a bright light during a troubled time. Thirty years ago, the United States was the leader in global vaccination and our children are safer because of that success. But today the U.S. is at risk of losing its measles elimination status.

Over a million people will have converged on the Twin Cities for the Minnesota State Fair by the time it's over. They haven't been particularly worried about contagious diseases, and many younger Minnesotans will not remember that the State Fair was closed down during the polio epidemic of 1946. The hard-won success of Nigeria to eliminate polio within its borders is a reminder to us all of the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to protect our children.

This year, Rotarians from Minnesota and Iowa are planning to "blitz" the State Fair and staff an informational table. Most will be wearing T-shirts with the distinctive Rotary cogwheel. Rotary is nondenominational, nonpolitical and a perfect venue for people who do not agree on many issues to sit down and have a polite, constructive conversation about the issues that divide our nation and our world.

If you have a chance, stop by to say hello and let them know that you support their efforts to eradicate polio. For more information on Rotary's role in polio eradication and to support the cause, please see www.rotary.org/endpolionow.

 

Charles Adams Cogan, of Northfield, is PolioPlus Team Lead for Rotary District 5960. Tim Mulcrone, of Prior Lake, is PolioPlus Team Lead for Rotary District 5950.

Africa begins countdown to being polio free as Nigeria marks 3 years without disease - CNN

Posted: 21 Aug 2019 08:03 AM PDT

Polio Outbreak Reported in Ghana - Vax Before Travel

Posted: 28 Aug 2019 01:34 PM PDT

An outbreak of poliovirus has been reported in the Republic of Ghana by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

To notify travelers to this small Africain country, the CDC issued Level 2 Travel Alerts on August 28, 2019. Ghana has an estimated 4.3 million international tourists annually.

The Republic of Ghana is a country located along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, in the subregion of West Africa, with an estimated population of 30 million residents.

Ghana's polio outbreaks are caused by vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), a sign of low oral polio vaccine coverage.

The CDC says 'these vaccine-derived polio outbreaks cannot spread in the United States because of the existing high-vaccination rates against polio.

Furthermore, the oral polio vaccine is not used in the USA, says the CDC.

This CDC Level 2 Travel Alerts recommends that all travelers to Ghana be fully vaccinated against polio. 

And, travelers going to countries with circulating VDPV who have completed their routine polio vaccine series, but who have not already received an adult booster dose, recommends administering a single lifetime inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) booster dose.

Even if you were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with polio before, you may need a booster dose to make sure you are protected. 

If you will be staying in Ghana for more than 4 weeks, the government may require you to show proof of polio vaccination before you leave the country. To meet this requirement, you should get the polio vaccine between 4 weeks and 12 months before you leave the country.

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Most people with polio do not feel sick. And some people have only minor symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, stiffness in the neck and back, and pain in the arms and legs says the CDC.

In rare cases, polio infection causes permanent loss of muscle function. Polio can be fatal if the muscles used for breathing are paralyzed.

Because the poliovirus lives in the feces of an infected person, people infected with the disease can spread it to others when they do not wash their hands well after defecating. People can also be infected if they drink water or eat food contaminated with infected feces.

The CDC says 'good hand washing practices can help prevent the spread of polio.'

Polio in the USA

  • Since 1979, no cases of polio have originated in the United States.
  • Polio has been eliminated from the United States thanks to widespread polio vaccinations. This means that there is no year-round transmission of poliovirus in the United States. 
  • However, the virus has been brought into the country by travelers with polio. The last time this happened was in 1993.  It takes only one traveler with polio to bring the disease into the United States.
  • The best way to keep the United States polio-free is to maintain high-immunity in the population against polio through vaccination.

As of July 31, 2019, 11 countries had confirmed circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks during 2019. Ghana reported its last poliovirus outbreak in November 2008.

Pre-trip, polio vaccine counseling appointments can be scheduled with a travel specialist at Vax-Before-Travel.

Polio vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. You are encouraged to report polio vaccine side effects to a healthcare provider or the CDC.

Published by Vax Before Travel

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