E-Paper
UP Govt reverts to trivalent polio vaccine
Instead of the monovalent polio vaccine, Govt is using the trivalent vaccine in the next phase of the polio drive, beginning from April 8, reports Smriti Malaviya.
With polio eradication in the State appearing a distant dream despite continuous efforts in this direction, the State Health directorate has decided to revert to its earlier strategy of immunisation.
Instead of the monovalent polio vaccine, targeting the P1 type of polio virus, the government has decided to use the trivalent vaccine in the next phase of the polio drive, beginning from April 8. This would help health officials target all the three types of wild polio virus (P1, P2 and P3), which have been recently found in children in many cities including Allahabad, Moradabad and Rampur.
The trivalent vaccine was used in earlier polio immunisation drives, but as the number of polio cases came down significantly in 2004-05, the government decided to switch to monovalent vaccine, which was found very effective in areas where only wild polio virus type-1 was active.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Shantimal Singhavi said, “The government has probably taken the decision keeping in mind the fresh cases of polio, showing P2 and P3 wild polio virus strains.”
He said the monovalent vaccine increased immunity of children against P1 type polio virus, as compared to the trivalent vaccine.
District Immunisation Officer Dr Swatantra Mishra said the monovalent vaccine produced much stronger response than the trivalent vaccine in children immunised for the first time.
“Since, most of the polio cases were found in children below the age of two years, the vaccine was very effective on them. But after fresh reports of P2 and P3 type of virus, which were believed to have been eradicated, the government has decide to change its strategy,” he added.
