Polio Vaccination Campaign Research Articles

Impact of COVID-19 on polio vaccination in Pakistan: a concise overview.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted immunization programs around the globe, potentially increasing life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries, which are still struggling to eradicate wild poliovirus. All vaccination campaigns in Pakistan were suspended in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak, leading 40 million children to miss out on polio vaccination. Like the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic could be regarded as a child-rights crisis because it could have life-threatening impact over children, who need immunization, now and in the long-term. Delays in polio vaccination programs might not have immediate impact but, in the long-term, the increase in polio cases in Pakistan could result in the global export of infections. Therefore, healthcare authorities must intensify their efforts to track and vaccinate unvaccinated children in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Polio vaccination campaigns need to resume immediately, so we suggest applying social distancing measures along with standard operating procedure to flatten the transmission curve of COVID-19. Furthermore, the concurrent emergence of cVDPV2 means that tOPV should temporarily be used for primary immunization. In the current review, we have discussed delays in polio vaccination, surveillance of polio viruses, reported cases in Pakistan along with recommendations to overcome interrupted immunization.

Blurred lines

The neutrality of medicine and health care professionals in different conflict settings in the Middle East have come under scrutiny in recent human rights reports, and should be seen as part of the broader fallout of the US-led ‘global war on terror.’ The last two decades of US military attacks on health infrastructures in Iraq and the use of polio-vaccination campaigns to track down ‘terrorists’ are acts of war that have further blurred the lines between health care and warfare. The failure of international legal processes and institutions to prevent such assaults or to prosecute those responsible raises questions about the Eurocentric system of checks and balances that shape international humanitarian law and its invocation as a ‘legal’ and ‘moral’ framework.

Planning and implementing a targeted polio vaccination campaign for Somali mobile populations in Northeastern Kenya based on migration and settlement patterns

ABSTRACT Supporting the global eradication of wildpoliovrisu (WPV), this project aimed to provide polio and measles vaccines to a population frequenty missed by immunization services and campaigns, ethnic Somali children living among mobile populations within Kenya’s Northeastern Region. Additionally, nutritional support, albendazole (for treatment of intestinal parasites) and vitamin A were provided to improve children’s health and in accordance with regional vaccination campaign practices. To better understand movement patterns and healthcare-seeking behaviors within this population, we trained community-based data collectors in qualitative and geospatial data collection methods. Data collectors conducted focus group and participatory mapping discussions with ethnic Somalis living in the region. Qualitative and geospatial data indicated movement patterns that followed partially definable routes and temporary settlement patterns with an influx of ethnic Somali migrants into Kenya at the start of the long rainy season (April–June). Community members also reported concerns about receiving healthcare services in regional health facilities. Using these data, an 8-week vaccination campaign was planned and implemented: 2196 children aged 0–59 months received polio vaccine (9% had not previously received polio vaccine), 2524 children aged 9–59 months received measles vaccine (27% had not previously received measles vaccine), 113 were referred for the treatment of severe acute malnourishment, 150 were referred to a supplementary feeding program due to moderate acute malnourishment, 1636 children aged 12–59 months were provided albendazole and 2008 children aged 6–59 months were provided with vitamin A. This project serves as an example for how community-based data collectors and local knowledge can help adapt public health programming to the local context and could aid disease eradication in at-risk populations.

The second coming: The comeback of the live vaccines.

Live vaccines are gradually replaced by protein-based vaccines given the latter's better safety. But live vaccines seem to be more efficient via stimulation of the innate immune system.

Polio in Afghanistan: The Current Situation amid COVID-19.

.Polio is a deadly viral disease that has been paralyzing many children in Afghanistan. Despite fundamental efforts, primarily vaccination, to reduce the number of cases in Afghanistan, there are still many children who are deprived of the vaccine every year. Afghanistan is one of the two remaining countries endemic for polio, and the country has undergone various challenges that have hampered the eradication of this disease. The underlying challenges include inaccessibility of unsecured areas, illiteracy, refusal, and, most recently, COVID-19. The country is in the midst of a battle against COVID-19, and polio has almost entirely been neglected. Sadly, polio cases are increasing in the country, particularly in polio-free provinces. After an initial lockdown, many businesses have been allowed to resume, but the mass polio vaccination campaign has not restarted. New cases of polio will surge if endemic regions remain unvaccinated or inaccessible. To curb the further spread of polio, Afghanistan needs to resume nationwide house-to-house vaccination as restrictions due to COVID-19 are loosened.

Polio vaccination campaigns restart after modelers warn about risk of ‘explosive’ outbreaks

Polio vaccination campaigns restart after modelers warn about risk of ‘explosive’ outbreaks

Successes and Failures of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign, Case Report of the North West Region, Cameroon

Successes and Failures of the National Polio Vaccination Campaign, Case Report of the North West Region, Cameroon

Narrativas vacunales y políticas de vacunación contra la poliomielitis en el contexto de la provincia de Alicante (1963-1978)

El análisis a pequeña escala es una vía de abordaje historiográfico que abrió, en su momento, nuevos caminos en la investigación. La proximidad del objeto de estudio, permite profundizar en los determinantes propios y específicos y en las reali­dades y prácticas, por ejemplo, de las campañas de inmunización masiva contra la poliomielitis diseñada a nivel nacional pero implementadas localmente, como en el estudio de caso que abordamos. Utilizando como modelo el ámbito sanitario provincial de Alicante, el trabajo añade datos para completar la información de proximidad sobre estas campañas y de ese modo, completar una visión de conjunto y un análisis comparado tanto en un ámbito externo como en un ámbito interno interterritorial, nacional y provincial, así como el seguimiento de las directrices dadas por los organismos nacionales e internacionales. 
 En segundo término, dotar de significado al conjunto de actividades llevadas a cabo por diferentes actores, instituciones y medios de comunicación, implicados en el proceso de implantación, cobertura y seguimiento de las campañas de vacunación contra la polio en el ámbito provincial alicantino. El uso de narrativas de personas afectadas por la enfermedad permite añadir elementos relevantes sobre experiencias personales en el contexto de las campañas vacunales.

Fatores associados ao aleitamento materno em crianças de 6 a 23 meses de idade

Introdução: O período entre a gestação e os 24 meses de idade corresponde ao momento de oportunidades para o desenvolvimento e crescimento da criança. Objetivo: Analisar fatores associados ao aleitamento materno (AM) em crianças de 6 a 23 meses. Métodos: Estudo transversal realizado na Campanha Nacional de Vacinação contra Poliomielite 2012 em Guarapuava-PR com crianças de 6-23 meses, totalizando uma amostra de 1.750 indivíduos. Para a identificação dos fatores associados ao AM foram construídos modelos de regressão de Poisson, obtendo-se Razões de Prevalências (RP) e Intervalos de Confiança (IC) de 95%. Modelos bivariados foram elaborados abrangendo cada uma das variáveis independentes e a variável dependente. Resultados: Os fatores independentes associados à interrupção do AM em 1.355 crianças foram: fazer uso de mamadeira (RP 4,74; IC 3,45-6,52), usar chupeta (RP 1,47; IC 1,30-1,66), não ser amamentada na primeira hora de vida (RP 1,14; IC 1,05-1,25) e a mãe trabalhar fora (RP 1,12; IC 1,01-1,24). A escolaridade materna inferior a oito anos foi um fator de proteção para a continuidade do AM (RP 0,88; IC 0,80-0,96). Conclusão: O uso de bicos, não ser amamentado na primeira hora de vida e o trabalho materno interferiram na continuidade do AM, a partir desse conhecimento é possível propor recomendações de ações de promoção do AM em nível local.

‘We have no choice.’ Pandemic forces polio eradication group to halt campaigns

Going door-to-door to deliver the oral polio vaccine would put both communities and health workers at risk of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic is imperiling the worldwide, 3-decade drive to wipe out polio In an unprecedented move, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has recommended suspending polio vaccination campaigns to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus On 24 March, GPEI’s leadership called on all countries to postpone until at least the second half of this year both mass campaigns to boost immunity to the polio virus and the targeted campaigns underway in Africa to stop outbreaks sparked by the live virus vaccine itself

Communication Strategies for Polio Eradication in Pakistan: The Case Study of Polio Vaccination Campaign in South Punjab

This study has a plan to measure the level of knowledge and perceptions regarding polio vaccination in south Punjab, Pakistan. To examine the dominant source of awareness concerning utilized communication channels in the Polio vaccination campaign a total of 200 respondents (100 couples) were selected as the studys sample by applying the systematic random sampling technique. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents shared the poor knowledge about Polio. As it was found that, females were more conscious and responsible towards their children as compared to their counterparts. It was also found that males were the decision making authority regarding the polio vaccination of their children. The females seemed more convinced as compared to male respondents towards polio immunization. But, they had sufficient knowledge about the importance of polio vaccination. The television was the major information source of Polio vaccination among most of the respondents.

Sensitivity and specificity of a low-cost screening protocol for identifying children at risk for language disorders

OBJECTIVES:To compare the diagnostic accuracy of a low-cost screening test for identifying children at risk for language disorders with that of a specific language assessment.METHODS:The study was conducted during a polio vaccination campaign in basic health units in western São Paulo, Brazil. The parents/guardians of 1000 children aged between 0 and 5 years were asked to answer questions of a specific screening test. The instrument consisted of a uniform set of questions about the main milestones in language development (from 0 to 5 years of age) with scaled scores to assess responses. There were no exclusion criteria. After the screening test, the children were referred to a specific language assessment by ABFW, following a determined flow of referrals. The results obtained in the screening were compared to those obtained in the specific language assessment; then, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values were determined for the screening test. Children who failed the screening test also underwent an audiological evaluation. The statistical significance was set at 5%.RESULTS:The majority of the participants were aged between 4 and 5 years (21.82%) and were male (51.6%). The sensitivity and specificity values were 82.5% and 98.93%, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.907 (0.887–0.925), and the screening test showed 96% accuracy.CONCLUSIONS:The screening test showed high diagnostic efficiency in determining the risk of language disorders in children aged between 0 and 5 years.

The Potential Contribution of Supplementary Immunization Activities to Routine Immunization in Kebbi State, Nigeria.

Background: Among the strategies of the Polio Eradication Initiative, the landmark interventions are routine immunization (RI) and supplementary immunization activities (SIAs). RI is the provision of vaccination service at the health facility and conducted year-round. SIAs are a community-based intervention targeting large numbers of an eligible population within a short period. Hence, the study aimed to assess the contributions of SIAs on access and utilization of RI services. Methods: We conducted the study in 10 local government areas in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria. We analyzed RI data from January to September 2019 and included the 4 SIAs conducted in January, April, August, and September in the same years. The number of children vaccinated, the trend of BCG, pentavalent vaccine at 6 and 10 weeks, and measles coverage and dropout rates (DORs) were analyzed. Results: For all the selected vaccines, the highest contributions to RI were recorded during the August 2019 fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) campaign. On the other hand, the least contributions were noted during January SIAs. The BCG coverage showed an erratic trend with the lowest in February and highest in July 2019. The coverage for the pentavalent vaccine at 6 and 10 weeks was lowest in February and September. The pentavalent vaccine DOR pattern showed the lowest in February with value of 0% and the highest in June with 12%. Except for May and June, the Pentavalent vaccine DORs for all other months were <10%. February 2019 had the lowest measles coverage. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the integration of RI into SIAs could improve RI coverage. and potentially reduce DOR, especially when the integration is of good quality and conducted at short and regular intervals. Although SIAs are instrumental at increasing RI coverage, the disruption of RI services may occur due to overlapping resources and poor planning. Therefore, SIAs should be adequately planned by program managers to strengthen RI service delivery during the SIAs implementation.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health system & Sustainable Development Goal 3.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health system & Sustainable Development Goal 3.

Socioeconomic Status, Health Inequalities, and Solidarity Trends in a Mass Vaccination Campaign

Abstract Background In July 2013, Israel was swept with fear of a polio outbreak. In response to the importation of wild polio virus, the Ministry decided to take preventive action by administering oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) to all children born after 1 January 2004 who had received at least one dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in the past. This study analyzes the vaccination uptake rates resulting from the mass polio vaccination campaign on the basis of health inequality parameters of socioeconomic status (SES), principles of solidarity, and the Gini inequality index. The research explores understanding the value of the Gini inequality index within the context of SES and solidarity. Methods The study is based on data gathered from the Israeli Ministry of Health’s administrative records from mother-and-child clinics across Israel. The research population is comprised of resident infants and children whom the Ministry of Health defined as eligible for the OPV between August and December 2013. Results The higher the SES level of the area where the mother-and-child clinic is located, the lower the OPV vaccination uptake is. The greater the income inequality is in the municipality where the mother-and-child clinic is situated, the lower the vaccination uptake. As time passed in the vaccination campaign, vaccination uptake increased regardless of the location of the mother-and-child clinics. The highest vaccination uptake rate was found among populations of low SES and low Gini inequality index. The lowest vaccination uptake rate was found among populations of high SES/high Gini inequality index. Conclusions Public health professionals promoting vaccine programs need to make specially-designed efforts both in localities with high average income and in localities with a high level of income diversity/inequality. Such practice will better utilize funds, resources, and manpower dedicated to increasing vaccination uptake across varying populations and communities. Key messages The higher the SES in municipalities with mother-and-child clinics, the less likely children were to be vaccinated. The lower the Gini inequality index, there is a higher polio vaccination uptake among of children.

Vaccination uptake and income inequalities within a mass vaccination campaign

BackgroundIn July 2013, Israel was swept with fear of a polio outbreak. In response to the importation of wild polio virus, the Ministry decided to take preventive action by administering oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) to all children born after 1 January 2004 who had received at least one dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in the past. This study analyzes the vaccination uptake rates resulting from the mass polio vaccination campaign on the basis of health inequality parameters of socioeconomic status (SES), principles of solidarity, and the Gini inequality index. The research explores understanding the value of the Gini inequality index within the context of SES and solidarity.MethodsThe study is based on data gathered from the Israeli Ministry of Health’s administrative records from mother-and-child clinics across Israel. The research population is comprised of resident infants and children whom the Ministry of Health defined as eligible for the OPV between August and December 2013 (the “campaign period”). The analysis was carried out at the municipality level as well as the statistical area level.ResultsThe higher the SES level of the municipality where the mother-and-child clinic is located, the lower the OPV vaccination uptake is. The greater the income inequality is in the municipality where the mother-and-child clinic is situated, the lower the vaccination uptake.ConclusionsPublic health professionals promoting vaccine programs need to make specially-designed efforts both in localities with high average income and in localities with a high level of income diversity/inequality. Such practice will better utilize funds, resources, and manpower dedicated to increasing vaccination uptake across varying populations and communities.

Hybrid prevalence estimation: Method to improve intervention coverage estimations

Delivering excellent health services requires accurate health information systems (HIS) data. Poor-quality data can lead to poor judgments and outcomes. Unlike probability surveys, which are representative of the population and carry accuracy estimates, HIS do not, but in many countries the HIS is the primary source of data used for administrative estimates. However, HIS are not structured to detect gaps in service coverage and leave communities exposed to unnecessary health risks. Here we propose a method to improve informatics by combining HIS and probability survey data to construct a hybrid estimator. This technique provides a more accurate estimator than either data source alone and facilitates informed decision-making. We use data from vitamin A and polio vaccination campaigns in children from Madagascar and Benin to demonstrate the effect. The hybrid estimator is a weighted average of two measurements and produces SEs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the hybrid and HIS estimators. The estimates of coverage proportions using the combined data and the survey estimates differ by no more than 3%, while decreasing the SE by 1-6%; the administrative estimates from the HIS and combined data estimates are very different, with 3-25 times larger CI, questioning the value of administrative estimates. Estimators of unknown accuracy may lead to poorly formulated policies and wasted resources. The hybrid estimator technique can be applied to disease prevention services for which population coverages are measured. This methodology creates more accurate estimators, alongside measured HIS errors, to improve tracking the public's health.

Feasibility of jet injector use during inactivated poliovirus vaccine house-to-house vaccination campaigns

BackgroundTo attain high coverage during polio vaccination campaigns, an outreach house-to-house strategy is used to administer oral poliovirus vaccine. Administering an injectable vaccine house-to-house requires a skilled work force and increases risks of needle stick injuries. Needle-free injection devices provide a safer alternative to needles and syringes for administering injectable vaccines. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a needle-free injection device to administer injectable poliovirus vaccine during a house-to-house vaccination outreach activity. MethodsVaccination teams administered injectable poliovirus vaccine using the Pharmajet® needle-free intramuscular jet injector to children ages 6–59 months in 766 homes. Data on the feasibility of using the jet injector in an outreach campaign setting and the acceptability of the jet injector by caregivers and vaccinators were collected. ResultsA total of 993 injections were administered. Vaccinators faced challenges during device preparation in 16% (n = 158) of injections; challenges were related to problems loading the injector and not having a flat surface to use for setup of the injector. Among 32 vaccinators interviewed after the vaccination campaign, the main reported advantage of the device was absence of sharps disposal (91%) while the main reported disadvantage was unacceptability by parents (90%) which was related to the vaccine, not the device. ConclusionsThe needle-free jet injector was feasible for use in house-to-house campaigns. Acceptability by vaccinators was low as 81% stated that the jet injector was not easier to use than needle and syringe. Parental refusal related to frequent polio vaccination campaigns was the biggest challenge. In addition, novelty of the device posed a challenge to teams as they needed to reassure parents about safety of the device. To take full advantage of the ability to take injectable vaccines door-to-door during vaccination campaigns using a needle-free jet injector device, tailored social mobilization efforts are needed ahead of campaigns.

Lessons from integration of mass nutrition screening during combined BOPV/IPV campaign in armed conflict settings, Borno State, Nigeria

Background: The Boko Haram insurgency has led to severe humanitarian crisis with high levels of malnutrition and polio outbreak in Borno state, Nigeria. In response, outbreak campaigns were conducted that provided an opportunity to integrate nutrition screening during the combined bivalent oral and inactivated polio vaccination (bOPV/IPV) campaign. Methods : This was a cross-sectional study that measured nutrition status of children using a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement tape during bOPV/IPV campaign in 4 of the 24 local government areas (LGAs). Data were collected using tally sheets and mobile ODK Collector and bivariate analysis using logistic regression done. Results : Over 1.66 million and 1.47 million children received bOPV and IPV vaccines respectively in 24 LGAs. The coverage of bOPV and IPV in integrated and non-integrated LGAs were above 90% with no statistical difference (OR:0.85; 95%CI: 0.55-1.29; p=0.42). Only 48.5% (351795/725509) of targeted children were screened for malnutrition, of those 3.7% (13050/351795) had severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Less than 47.5% of children with SAM were successfully referred and enrolled in the treatment facilities. Conclusion : Coverage of bOPV and IPV were similar in both integrated and non-integrated LGAs indicating that integrating nutrition screening in polio campaigns is feasible with minimal negative effects. As children with SAM have lower serological protection against polio, provides a strong rationale for inclusion of nutrition interventions in global polio eradication efforts. There are critical lessons that were identified including joint planning, well-defined optimal partnership including military collaborations, and a need for joint monitoring.

Census-independent population mapping in northern Nigeria

Although remote sensing has long been used to aid in the estimation of population, it has usually been in the context of spatial disaggregation of national census data, with the census counts serving both as observational data for specifying models and as constraints on model outputs. Here we present a framework for estimating populations from the bottom up, entirely independently of national census data, a critical need in areas without recent and reliable census data. To make observations of population density, we replace national census data with a microcensus, in which we enumerate population for a sample of small areas within the states of Kano and Kaduna in northern Nigeria. Using supervised texture-based classifiers with very high resolution satellite imagery, we produce a binary map of human settlement at 8-meter resolution across the two states and then a more refined classification consisting of 7 residential types and 1 non-residential type. Using the residential types and a model linking them to the population density observations, we produce population estimates across the two states in a gridded raster format, at approximately 90-meter resolution. We also demonstrate a simulation framework for capturing uncertainty and presenting estimates as prediction intervals for any region of interest of any size and composition within the study region. Used in concert with previously published demographic estimates, our population estimates allowed for predictions of the population under 5 in ten administrative wards that fit strongly with reference data collected during polio vaccination campaigns.