The recommendation of the 2nd National Consultative Meeting of the IAP on
Polio Eradication (PE) has been published in the Journal(1). It seems
appropriate at this time to look at what was accomplished by the 1st
consultation(2). Last time, the committee suggested that India stockpile
vaccine ‘now’ (as if the imported live-vaccine has an indefinite
shelf-life) so that the country is ‘no longer dependent on the WHO’ if
there is a resurgence of the disease. There was no protest in the journal
about the illogical recommendation. It was simply ignored by the
membership and the Government of India (GOI).
This year the committee says the GOI must take urgent
measures to attain 90% coverage with UIP vaccines by the end of 2008, ‘if
the goal of polio eradication is to be achieved’. At present the committee
says 38% children are fully immunized)(3). Does anyone imagine 90%
immunization is possible by the year-end? Are we to infer that polio
eradication is not possible just as 90% coverage under routine
immunization (RI) by 2008 is not achievable?
PE was started with the goal to eradicate the virus by
2000 so that ‘children need not be immunized perpetually(4)’ It is now
accepted that even if PE is successful (defined as absence of circulation
of wild polio virus for 3 years) polio immunization will still be needed
perpetually. The reason is that we now know that local strains of
poliovirus can resurface decades after PE(5). International organizations
spearheading the campaign for PE had seriously miscalculated and they will
be keen to defect the blame (on to the GOI or any one else) for its
failure. It is unfortunate that the IAP should participate in this game
plan to lay blame on the GOI.
References
1. Shah NK, John TJ, Thacker N, Vashistha VM, Kalra A,
Ugra D. Polio eradication strategies in India: Recommendation under IAP
action plan 2006. Indian Pediatr 2006; 43: 1057-1059.
2.
Polio Eradication
Committee;
Indian Academy of
Pediatrics,
Vashishtha VM,
Kalra A,
John TJ,
Thacker N,
Agarwal RK.
Recommendations of 2nd National Consultative Meeting of Indian Academy of
Pediatrics (IAP) on polio eradication and improvement of routine
immunization.
Indian Pediatr
2008; 45: 367-378.
3. Multiple Indicator Survey-2000 (MICS-2000) India
Summary Report November 2001. From:
http://www.childinfo.org/MICS2/newreports/india/india.pdf. Accessed 27
May, 2008.
4. Planning Commission. Tenth Five Year Plan
(2002-2007) Volume 2: Sectoral Policies and Programmes, Family Welfare.
New Delhi: Government of India, undated.
5. Puliyel JM, Gupta MA, Mathew JL. Polio eradication
and the future for other programmes: Situation analysis for strategic
planning in India. Indian J Med Res 2007; 125: 1-4.