Protecting children from polio during war time
The world has made tremendous progress against polio in the past three decades, vaccinating over 2.5 billion children and reducing cases by 99 percent. But this progress is fragile, and we cannot afford to lose focus. Millions of children are still missing out on routine vaccinations because of pandemic disruptions, conflict, climate disasters and displacement. Polio is a highly contagious disease that poses a serious threat to the nervous system and can potentially lead to paralysis or death. Medicines to treat polio do not exist. The disease, however, can effectively be prevented: six doses of vaccine given in line with the childhood vaccination schedule can provide lifelong protection. The two types of vaccines used for protection against poliovirus are inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine (IPV) administered by injection, and oral polio vaccine (OPV) given as liquid drops via the mouth. The first two vaccinations are given with the IPV vaccine, and the remaining with OPV vaccine. UNICEF helps vaccinate over 400 million children globally against polio every year, to eradicate polio worldwide. In Ukraine, UNICEF works to secure uninterrupted availability of life-saving vaccines for children and adults and to maintain high routine immunization coverage. As the war and subsequent displacement continues, gaps in immunization coverage put children’s health at risk. UNICEF continues to provide access to catch-up vaccination for those children who have missed their scheduled vaccines. To go the last mile in polio eradication, UNICEF implements programmes beyond the ‘two drops.’ Efforts are focused on strengthening health systems and understanding behavioural and social drivers to public health. Not only are these crucial investments to save lives but they are an integral tool in securing our shared global health security.
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