India to switch to bivalent polio vaccine

Trivalent OPV contains live and weakened versions for all the three types (1, 2 and 3) of wild polio while the bivalent vaccine will contain type 1 and 3.

Type 2 of wild polio virus has been eradicated worldwide long time back.

India has already introduced injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) into its routine immunization programme along with oral polio vaccine (OPV) from November last year.

In the first phase, IPV has been introduced in Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

"We are also planning for switch from trivalent OPV to bivalent OPV in some months in a globally synchronized manner," Nadda said.

Meanwhile, under the Pulse Polio programme for 2016, around 17.4 crore children under five years will be given polio drops.

"Polio-free status for five years is a treasure for all of us. India has been now validated for Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus elimination in May 2015 well before the global target date of December 2015.

"This is a monumental achievement in the country's efforts to achieve universal healthcare and address health inequities," Nadda said.

The Health Minister noted that to provide double protection to children and securing gains of polio eradication, government has introduced the IPV into its routine immunization program along with oral polio vaccine.

Nadda said that as polio is now endemic in only Afghanistan and Pakistan, the world is at the last stage of polio eradication. (MORE) TDS PRM