February 26, 2024 Vaccine-induced polio in Yemen.

February 26, 2024

Between 2021 and 2023. Yemen notified 237 cases of poliovirus type 2 variants.both Vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV). They are known to occur in the context of chronic immunization. Cases were reported from 117 districts and 90% of affected children were under 5 years of age, while 10% of cases occurred among children above 5 years of age.

Yemen is classified as a country with high risk further international spread of cVDPV2. Since then, the virus circulating in Yemen has already appeared in Djibouti, Egypt and Somalia.

In 2022 and 2023, WHO supported four vaccination campaigns with trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) in 12 governorates of Yemen. The first and second campaigns reached approximately 2.4 million children under 10 years of age; The third and fourth campaigns reached approximately 1.2 million children under 5 years of age. A total of 6,925,255 tOPV doses were administered over the 4 campaigns. However, there has been an increase in vaccine hesitancy, resulting in children being neglected.

From 25 to 27 February 2024, Yemen will join countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe in using the new oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) Ministry of Health and Population, WHO and other partners They are planning a campaign covering 1,290,000 people. children in 120 districts of 12 provinces. A total of 6,727 units of equipment have been deployed: 845 stationary units and 5,882 mobile units.

Local risks Yemen

More information about polio in Yemen

• August 2014 The number of children vaccinated against polio in the country dropped from 75% to 25% in 2011 due to political and civil unrest engulfing the country. A polio vaccination campaign has begun, targeting four million children in the country.