The Ministry of Health is making plans to introduce the Inactivated Polio Vaccine, as part of its Polio virus Eradication program.
In preparation for the introduction of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine, Dr. Karen Lewis Bell of the Pan American Health Organization will be in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to provide support to this initiative and to sensitize key stakeholders and health care professionals.
The World Health Organization developed the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic plan which provides a detailed approved and concrete time line for complete eradication of polio.
The plan called for a phased withdrawal of Oral Polio Vaccine globally, beginning with the removal of the type 2 component of Oral Polio Vaccine through a switch globally from trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine to bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine in 2016.
Introducing the Inactivated Polio Vaccine is a key element of the endgame plan and global readiness to manage risks associated with the Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 withdrawals.
The endgame calls for the introduction of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine in all Oral Polio Vaccine only using countries by the end of 2015.
The primary role of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine will be to maintain immunity against type 2 polio-virus, while removing Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 globally.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines fully supports the plan by the World Health Organization and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for the global polio eradication endgame to replace the use of the Oral Polio Vaccine by the Inactivated Polio Vaccine and will be introducing the Inactivated Polio Vaccine into the national schedule with the administration of two doses of this vaccine in 2015.
The main objective is to ensure that all infants under the age of one year are adequately protected against all three types of the polio virus through vaccination.
An opening ceremony will be held at Ministry of Health Conference Room at nine tomorrow morning.
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