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Are More Polio Cases Now Being Caused by the Vaccine Than by Wild Polio Viruses?

Why would people think that more polio cases are now being caused by the vaccine than by wild polio viruses?

More polio cases are now being caused by the vaccine than by wild polio viruses.

Well, it’s true…

Are More Polio Cases Now Being Caused by the Vaccine Than by Wild Polio Viruses?

Wait, what?

“It is no exaggeration to describe it as a crisis. Even worse, looking more widely at the current state of polio eradication, the crisis has three peaks: the first is the level of wild polioviruses in Pakistan; the second is the way that the escalating restrictions in access in Afghanistan have created a huge immunity gap; and the third peak is the widespread occurrence of vaccine-derived polioviruses.”

Independent Monitoring Board 17th Report

Yes, as we are getting close to eradicating polio, we had been seeing fewer and fewer cases of wild polio in the world.

“In rare cases, the live virus in oral polio vaccine can mutate into a form capable of sparking new outbreaks.”

Report raises concern about rare polio cases caused by oral vaccine

And we have been seeing more cases of vaccine-derived polio, which is rarely caused by the oral polio vaccine.

Fortunately, something that most folks miss is that the polio vaccine protects against both wild polio and vaccine-derived polio.

“As recently as 30 years ago, wild poliovirus paralysed more than 350,000 children in more than 125 countries every year. In 2018 there were fewer than 30 reported cases in just two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

“Zero polio transmission and health for all”, WHO Director-General gives new year’s wish to the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan

And of course, if we weren’t using these polio vaccines, while that would solve the problem of vaccine associated polio, we would simply be seeing lots more wild polio.

More polio cases are now being caused by the vaccine than by wild polio viruses.

Even though cases of wild polio are up this year, after years of decline, they are still tremendously below what they were in the pre-vaccine era.

Remember, we are comparing about 300 cases of wild and vaccine-derived polio that we see today with more than 300,000 of wild polio that we used to see!

“Global efforts to immunise children with the oral polio vaccine (OPV) have reduced wild poliovirus cases by 99.9% since 1988.”

Fact Sheet: Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus

And even those 300 cases of wild and vaccine-derived polio cases can be eliminated if more kids get vaccinated.

“Today, global leaders convened at the Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) Forum in Abu Dhabi to affirm their commitment to eradicate polio and pledge US$2.6 billion as part of the first phase of the funding needed to implement the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023.”

Global leaders pledge US $2.6 billion to eradicate polio at the Reaching the Last Mile forum in Abu Dhabi

And we will get those kids vaccinated.

“Fourthly, rumours and deliberate social media seeding of misinformation about the polio vaccine has had a big impact on refusal rates. Fifthly, organised boycotts of the Polio Programme to gain political concessions have reduced some communities’ acceptance of the polio vaccine.”

Independent Monitoring Board 17th Report

And we will eradicate polio.

More on Polio Eradication

1 thought on “Are More Polio Cases Now Being Caused by the Vaccine Than by Wild Polio Viruses?”

  1. I’m amazed at your logic… “Fortunately, something that most folks miss is that the polio vaccine protects against both wild polio and vaccine-derived polio.”

    If the vaccine protects you from getting vaccine-derived polio… why is vaccine-derived polio even a thing? Are you trying to tell us that the vaccine-derived polio is not caused by vaccines????

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