The number of polio cases in Tajikistan is sharply lower after an anti-polio immunization drive over the past few weeks, says the country’s senior sanitary inspector, Azam Mirzoev.
“The situation is becoming better each day thanks to the [recent] vaccination coverage, which was 99.6 percent,” Mirzoev told IRIN in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. World Health Organization (WHO) officials echoed that view. “Epidemiology observations indicate there is a decrease in the number of reported cases as a consequence of the first rounds of the immunization campaign,” Santino Severoni, WHO representative in Tajikistan, told IRIN.
“As of 7 June 2010, Tajikistan had reported 586 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, 183 of which had been laboratory confirmed for wild poliovirus type 1,” Severoni said. According to the 21 May epidemiological update on polio from Tajikistan by WHO, there were 129 confirmed poliomyelitis cases, mainly among children under five.
The third round for under-sixes ended on 5 June. The last round of the campaign for children between six and 15 will be conducted on 15-19 June, say officials.
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“The situation is becoming better each day thanks to the [recent] vaccination coverage, which was 99.6 percent,” Mirzoev told IRIN in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. World Health Organization (WHO) officials echoed that view. “Epidemiology observations indicate there is a decrease in the number of reported cases as a consequence of the first rounds of the immunization campaign,” Santino Severoni, WHO representative in Tajikistan, told IRIN.
“As of 7 June 2010, Tajikistan had reported 586 cases of acute flaccid paralysis, 183 of which had been laboratory confirmed for wild poliovirus type 1,” Severoni said. According to the 21 May epidemiological update on polio from Tajikistan by WHO, there were 129 confirmed poliomyelitis cases, mainly among children under five.
The third round for under-sixes ended on 5 June. The last round of the campaign for children between six and 15 will be conducted on 15-19 June, say officials.
rk/at/mw
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