‘International travellers’ best bet is to get polio injections’
Facilitator University of Auckland Tanner says medicine goes into bloodstream and fights virus more effectively
KARACHI:
People travelling from Pakistan to other countries should get polio vaccines injected into their blood stream instead of getting the drops, said immunisation expert Michelle Tanner.
Tanner works as an immunisation education facilitator with the University of Auckland in New Zealand and was invited by Karachi Rotary Club to speak on 'Polio vaccines as we go forward' at Greenwich University on Wednesday evening.
A person who has taken an oral polio vaccine (OPV) can still spread the virus as the medicine stays in the gut and comes out through excretion, Tanner explained. Injected polio vaccine (IPV) is a much better option, especially for international travellers, as the medicine goes into the bloodstream and fights the virus more effectively, she added.
According to Tanner, there is little use of taking the drops at the airport as the person can shed the virus for up to six weeks after getting an OPV. "Vaccine viruses are excreted in the stool of the vaccinated person for up to six weeks after a dose, with maximum shedding occurring in the first and second week after vaccination, particularly the first dose," said the World Health Organisation's technical manual.
IPVs appear to be the better option but the only drawback is that they are five times more expensive than the drops. If the injection freezes for even a few minutes, it will decay, she said, adding that it is also not available easily. Nevertheless, Tanner stressed that both vaccinations are important and should be taken for complete protection from the polio virus.
In Karachi, the IPV is not readily available. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre's Dr Seemin Jamali said the vaccine costs around Rs400 and is not available at government hospitals. Aga Khan University Hospital sells the vaccine for Rs424 while it charges Rs100 as service fee for OPV. Meanwhile, the rates at Southcity Hospital are much higher - Rs2,000 for IPV and Rs1,000 for OPV, including service charges.
Tanner also mentioned a vaccination event organised by the Rotary Club at Lahore Zoo where she and other volunteers vaccinated nearly 3,000 children in three-and-a-half hours.
Before handing over the stage to Tanner, Rotary International's district governor Shahbaz Qureshi also spoke about polio vaccines and the condition of polio in Pakistan. "There have been 199 cases in 2000 but this year the number of cases has gone up to 227 cases," he pointed out.
"We have had a polio fatigue for a while but recently there is a new wave of awareness regarding polio," he said. "The government needs to wake up and impose a polio emergency." He added that polio in Pakistan continues to be a major concern for the rest of the world as it is harbouring 80 per cent of the world's polio.
A group of students from Greenwich University also played the national polio song, 'Dou Boondh', which is a first-of-its-kind effort to raise awareness.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2014.
People travelling from Pakistan to other countries should get polio vaccines injected into their blood stream instead of getting the drops, said immunisation expert Michelle Tanner.
Tanner works as an immunisation education facilitator with the University of Auckland in New Zealand and was invited by Karachi Rotary Club to speak on 'Polio vaccines as we go forward' at Greenwich University on Wednesday evening.
A person who has taken an oral polio vaccine (OPV) can still spread the virus as the medicine stays in the gut and comes out through excretion, Tanner explained. Injected polio vaccine (IPV) is a much better option, especially for international travellers, as the medicine goes into the bloodstream and fights the virus more effectively, she added.
According to Tanner, there is little use of taking the drops at the airport as the person can shed the virus for up to six weeks after getting an OPV. "Vaccine viruses are excreted in the stool of the vaccinated person for up to six weeks after a dose, with maximum shedding occurring in the first and second week after vaccination, particularly the first dose," said the World Health Organisation's technical manual.
IPVs appear to be the better option but the only drawback is that they are five times more expensive than the drops. If the injection freezes for even a few minutes, it will decay, she said, adding that it is also not available easily. Nevertheless, Tanner stressed that both vaccinations are important and should be taken for complete protection from the polio virus.
In Karachi, the IPV is not readily available. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre's Dr Seemin Jamali said the vaccine costs around Rs400 and is not available at government hospitals. Aga Khan University Hospital sells the vaccine for Rs424 while it charges Rs100 as service fee for OPV. Meanwhile, the rates at Southcity Hospital are much higher - Rs2,000 for IPV and Rs1,000 for OPV, including service charges.
Tanner also mentioned a vaccination event organised by the Rotary Club at Lahore Zoo where she and other volunteers vaccinated nearly 3,000 children in three-and-a-half hours.
Before handing over the stage to Tanner, Rotary International's district governor Shahbaz Qureshi also spoke about polio vaccines and the condition of polio in Pakistan. "There have been 199 cases in 2000 but this year the number of cases has gone up to 227 cases," he pointed out.
"We have had a polio fatigue for a while but recently there is a new wave of awareness regarding polio," he said. "The government needs to wake up and impose a polio emergency." He added that polio in Pakistan continues to be a major concern for the rest of the world as it is harbouring 80 per cent of the world's polio.
A group of students from Greenwich University also played the national polio song, 'Dou Boondh', which is a first-of-its-kind effort to raise awareness.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2014.