NONTHABURI – The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has announced the success in the adoption of a polio vaccine according to the WHO’s strategy, while vaccination services will be expanded with the goal of complete polio eradication worldwide within 2018.
The MOPH’s Permanent-Secretary Sopon Mekthon has announced Thailand’s success in changing the polio vaccine, from injection of three serotypes of polio virus to the injection of inactive virus in addition to giving oral polio vaccines containing the live virus.
The new method cuts down polio virus serotypes introduced into human’s body to two types by eliminating the second type of virus, which no longer exists outside labs, reducing risk of mutation.
The MOPH’s permanent-secretary has said the vaccination method adjustment goes in keeping with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) policy. Thailand will be able to achieve the goal within half a year earlier than previously expected.
The result from this change has been signed by the National Committee, and submitted to the WHO for acknowledgement.
Although Thailand has not discovered cases of polio during the past 19 years, Thailand currently only has 50 percent of polio vaccination coverage. This figure is expected to be increased to 100 percent to prevent the disease from resurfacing in the country, due to known infections in neighbouring countries. The global eradication of the polio disease is expected to be achieved in the year 2018.
On this matter, The Department of Disease Control Director-General Amnuay Gajeena is calling upon parents to take their children to receive the vaccination of polio other diseases as recommended, to prevent them from being contracted with communicable diseases.
