Ukrainian parents urged to vaccinate children against polio
The call was announced during a joint press briefing on the occasion of World Polio Day.
- Available in:
- Українська
- English
On Tuesday 26 October, representatives of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and partners organized a press briefing in Kyiv to raise awareness of polio.
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine, together with the Public Health Center, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called on Ukrainian parents to protect their children against this dangerous disease and catch up on missed vaccinations.
Health workers, scientists, governments and global partners embarked on an ambitious mission to eradicate all forms of the poliovirus.
To support global efforts to end polio, the GPEI was established in 1988. Its work resulted in a reduction of polio cases by 99 percent.
Until recently, only a few countries reported incidents of polio infections. In October 2021, poliovirus was reported to have caused paralysis in an unvaccinated 18-month-old child in the Rivne region, in western Ukraine.
“Today it is critical to talk about polio as, after many years, this virus has returned to Ukraine,” said Ihor Kuzin, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor. “And while the epidemiological investigation is ongoing, polio is a threat to all unvaccinated children under five years. Polio can cause paralysis and even death. I urge all parents to avoid risks for the life of their children. Check your vaccination status and, in case you are refused or have missed your doses, call your family doctor or pediatrician to catch up on routine vaccination. According to the national immunization calendar, children need to receive polio vaccines at the ages of two, four, six and 18 months, six and 14 years. Vaccination is free and all regions have sufficient amounts of safe and efficient vaccines.”
Due to the recently confirmed polio case, the risk of contracting polio exists in all regions of Ukraine, especially for unvaccinated children under five years. If your child has symptoms – diarrhea accompanied by fever, or weakness in the arms or legs – you should seek help from a family doctor or other health care professional immediately.
National and international health experts strongly advise parents of children under five to protect them from this dangerous disease as soon as possible, if they have not already done so.
“Polio anywhere is a threat to children everywhere,” said Murat Sahin, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine. “In Ukraine, just 53 per cent of children under the age of one received their polio vaccines in the first eight months of 2021. Today, I am сalling upon all Ukrainian parents. It is crucial to ensure that your children receive all necessary vaccinations according to the national immunization calendar. There is no cure for polio. The only protection is vaccination.”
According to national and international procedures, experts are now working on establishing the circumstances surrounding the recent case, and conducting epidemiological and social investigations, including contact tracing. They are also strengthening environmental and laboratory surveillance in the region. This will help to detect any current or past cases of infection, as well as to establish how and when the virus entered the country.
“Many countries in the WHO European Region and around the world have reported gaps in routine immunization coverage,” said Guillaume Simonian, the WHO Health Emergencies Lead at the WHO Country Office Ukraine. “The cause is the COVID-19 pandemic, as healthcare and immunization systems have been stretched to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and manage COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Any decrease or gap in routine coverage creates opportunities for vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, to spread among the unvaccinated. The WHO and an alliance of key partners and stakeholders, including UNICEF, call on countries and parents to stay vigilant in the fight against this disease. No child should suffer from this vaccine-preventable disease.”
Depending on the results of the ongoing investigation, the government, with the support of the international partners, will develop an action plan to protect children and stop the spread of the virus.
Media contacts
Additional resources
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
Follow UNICEF Ukraine on Facebook, Instagram , Twitter and TikTok.