Progress Toward Polio Eradication — Worldwide, January 2020–April 2022 | MMWR - ISS-G20 Laboratorium Repository

What is already known about this topic?

Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Outbreaks of paralysis due to circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) occur in populations with low immunity following prolonged circulation of Sabin strain oral poliovirus vaccine.

What is added by this report?

In 2021, Afghanistan and Pakistan reported a sharp decline in WPV1 cases from previous years. A WPV1 case genetically linked to these countries occurred in Malawi in November 2021.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Current progress toward polio eradication must be sustained in countries experiencing endemic transmission and outbreaks. Intensified programmatic actions leading to more effective outbreak responses and enhanced efforts to immunize all children are essential. Until WPV1 is eradicated and cVDPV transmission is interrupted, the risk for children being paralyzed by polio remains.

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