[Polio vaccines, eradication and posterradication]. / Vacunas antipoliomieliticas, erradicación y posterradicación.

Vaccination against polio generates herd immunity (both with the attenuated (OPV) and inactivated (IPV) vaccines) and this will allow the eradication of the disease. The OPV vaccine produces 2-4 polio cases per cohort of one million children and therefore IPV is used in countries that can afford its cost (about 15 times more expensive than OPV). In 1988 the World Health Assembly established the polio eradication goal as "interruption of wild poliovirus transmission". If the elimination of wild poliovirus were achieved, the use of OPV will produce annually between 250 and 500 cases of polio in the world. From 1999, it was clear that eradication would require ending of immunization with OPV. On the 25th of January, 2013 it is approved the plan for the eradication and containment of all polioviruses, wild or not, so that no child suffers paralytic poliomyelitis. The most important landmarks include the lack of wild polio cases after 2014, the introduction of at least one dose of IPV in all immunization programs and to cease the type 2 OPV vaccination by the end of 2016 and to stop the use of the oral bivalent vaccine in 2019. To achieve all this, a complex scientific work and economic solidarity will be required.

Vacunas antipoliomieliticas, erradicación y posterradicación / Polio vaccines, eradication and posterradication

La vacunación antipoliomielítica genera inmunidad de grupo (con vacunas atenuadas (VPO) e inactivadas (VPI) y ello permitirá la erradicación de la enfermedad. La VPO produce de 2-4 casos de poliomielitis por cohorte de un millón de niños y por ello los países que pueden hacer frente al coste de la VPI (unas 15 veces más cara) la utilizan. En 1988 la Asamblea de la Organización Mundial de la Salud aprobó el objetivo de la erradicación como “la interrupción de la transmisión de poliovirus salvajes”. Si se conseguía su eliminación, el mantenimiento de la VPO produciría al año entre 250 y 500 casos de poliomielitis en el mundo. Desde 1999 era evidente que la erradicación requeriría la cesación de la vacunación con VPO. El 25 de enero del 2013 se aprobó el plan para la erradicación y la contención de todos los virus de la polio, salvajes o no, para que ningún niño sufra una poliomielitis paralítica. Los hitos más importantes incluyen, la no aparición de casos de polio salvaje tras el año 2014, la introducción de al menos una dosis de VPI en todos los programas de vacunación y que se suspenda la vacunación con VPO tipo 2 al final del 2016 y que en 2019 se pueda cesar de utilizar la vacuna bivalente oral. Para todo ello será preciso un trabajo científico complejo y solidaridad financiera (AU)

Vaccination against polio generates herd immunity (both with the attenuated (OPV) and inactivated (IPV) vaccines) and this will allow the eradication of the disease. The OPV vaccine produces 2-4 polio cases per cohort of one million children and therefore IPV is used in countries that can afford its cost (about 15 times more expensive than OPV). In 1988 the World Health Assembly established the polio eradication goal as “interruption of wild poliovirus transmission”. If the elimination of wild poliovirus were achieved, the use of OPV will produce annually between 250 and 500 cases of polio in the world. From 1999, it was clear that eradication would require ending of immunization with OPV. On the 25th of January, 2013 it is approved the plan for the eradication and containment of all polioviruses, wild or not, so that no child suffers paralytic poliomyelitis. The most important landmarks include the lack of wild polio cases after 2014, the introduction of at least one dose of IPV in all immunization programs and to cease the type 2 OPV vaccination by the end of 2016 and to stop the use of the oral bivalent vaccine in 2019. To achieve all this, a complex scientific work and economic solidarity will be required (AU)

Influenza virus epidemiological surveillance in Argentina, 1987-1993, with molecular characterization of 1990 and 1993 isolates

This report describes findings from epidemiological surveillance of influenza virus in two cities in Argentina (Mar del Plata and Córdoba) from 1987 to 1993. It includes information on reporting and serologic characterization of isolated influenza viruses. In addition, determination was made of the nucleotide sequences of the HA1 subunits of five type A (subtype H3) viral strains isolated in the epidemics of 1990 and 1993. The incidence of illness, type of viruses isolated, and H gene sequences were similar to what has been reported from other parts of the world during the same period. The H3 strains isolated in the 1990 and 1993 seasons were somewhat removed in their molecular characteristics from the strains the World Health Organization recommended for vaccines for those years, and appeared closer to the strains recommended for vaccination in subsequent seasons

Influenza virus epidemiological surveillance in Argentina, 1987-1993, with molecular characterization of 1990 and 1993 isolates

This report describes findings from epidemiological surveillance of influenza virus in two cities in Argentina (Mar del Plata and Córdoba) from 1987 to 1993. It includes information on reporting and serologic characterization of isolated influenza viruses. In addition, determination was made of the nucleotide sequences of the HA1 subunits of five type A (subtype H3) viral strains isolated in the epidemics of 1990 and 1993. The incidence of illness, type of viruses isolated, and H gene sequences were similar to what has been reported from other parts of the world during the same period. The H3 strains isolated in the 1990 and 1993 seasons were somewhat removed in their molecular characteristics from the strains the World Health Organization recommended for vaccines for those years, and appeared closer to the strains recommended for vaccination in subsequent seasons