Wild poliovirus in China
WPV update 6
10 FEBRUARY 2012 - In its rigorous response to the polio outbreak in southern the Xinjiang Autonomous Region first notified on 26 August 2011, the China Ministry of Health MOH) and local health authorities are planning to conduct further province-wide supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) in March and April 2012. in the four southern prefectures (Hotan, Kashgar, Aksu and Bazhou) all persons under 40 years of age will be targeted while in the capital Urumqi and all other prefectures all children under 15 years will be vaccinated. During the March round type specific monovalent OPV (mOPV) will be used while in April trivalent OPV (tOPV) will be offered.
For the November SIA the MOH reported that almost 3.9 million children under 15 years and almost 4.9 million adults (15-39 years old) were vaccinated with mOPV. This represents very high coverage over 95% which was supported by rapid coverage assessment.
The number of reported polio cases remains the same at a total of 21 (13 polio cases from Hotan, six from Kashgar and one each from Aksu and Bazhou). 10 cases are in children under three years of age and 11 cases are in adults (19-53 years old). Two of the polio cases have died.