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Madagascar: UN denies polio outbreak | Madagascar: UN denies polio outbreak |
(about 17 hours later) | |
The UN children's fund has denied that there has been a polio outbreak in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. | The UN children's fund has denied that there has been a polio outbreak in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar. |
It said that its office in Madagascar had issued a statement last week that led to the mistaken belief there had been an outbreak of wild poliovirus. | It said that its office in Madagascar had issued a statement last week that led to the mistaken belief there had been an outbreak of wild poliovirus. |
In fact the last such case was detected on the island in 1997, Unicef said. | In fact the last such case was detected on the island in 1997, Unicef said. |
The confusion had arisen because vaccine-derived poliovirus had been detected in three healthy children amid an immunisation campaign last week. | The confusion had arisen because vaccine-derived poliovirus had been detected in three healthy children amid an immunisation campaign last week. |
"The release may have led to a misunderstanding that there is an outbreak of wild poliovirus in Madagascar. Unicef wishes to clarify that there is no such outbreak," the UN children's fund said in a statement on Tuesday. | "The release may have led to a misunderstanding that there is an outbreak of wild poliovirus in Madagascar. Unicef wishes to clarify that there is no such outbreak," the UN children's fund said in a statement on Tuesday. |
The BBC News website carried an article with the erroneous information on Sunday 23 October 2011. | |
Children require three to four polio vaccines - taken orally usually in their first year of life - to be immunized against the crippling disease. | Children require three to four polio vaccines - taken orally usually in their first year of life - to be immunized against the crippling disease. |
In very rare instances, the virus in the vaccine can mutate into a form that can paralyse. | In very rare instances, the virus in the vaccine can mutate into a form that can paralyse. |
Unicef officials said an investigation had been launched to see why the three children had the vaccine-derived poliovirus. | Unicef officials said an investigation had been launched to see why the three children had the vaccine-derived poliovirus. |
They said low immunity on the island could be the reason. | They said low immunity on the island could be the reason. |
The political crisis in Madagascar since 2009 has interrupted vaccination programmes across the country. | The political crisis in Madagascar since 2009 has interrupted vaccination programmes across the country. |
Shortages of fuel for refrigerators to store the vaccines, and the closure of 250 clinics, have reduced vaccination rates to less than 40% in the south. | Shortages of fuel for refrigerators to store the vaccines, and the closure of 250 clinics, have reduced vaccination rates to less than 40% in the south. |
Two further vaccination campaigns are now required to ensure 90% of the 700,000 children are vaccinated to ensure better immunity levels. | Two further vaccination campaigns are now required to ensure 90% of the 700,000 children are vaccinated to ensure better immunity levels. |
Unicef says between 2000 and 2009 10bn doses of oral polio vaccines were given worldwide, from which 14 cases of vaccine-derived polio virus led to 400 polio cases. | Unicef says between 2000 and 2009 10bn doses of oral polio vaccines were given worldwide, from which 14 cases of vaccine-derived polio virus led to 400 polio cases. |
At the same time 14,000 children, who had not been immunized, were paralysed by the wild poliovirus. | At the same time 14,000 children, who had not been immunized, were paralysed by the wild poliovirus. |