Papua New Guinea: polio vaccines should arrive next week

Papua New Guinea’s Health Minister, Elias Kapavore, said polio vaccines are expected to arrive in the country next week. As of June 6, local health authorities have reported 48 cases of acute flaccid paralysis – a form of muscle weakness or paralysis often linked to poliovirus – across 11 provinces. Of these, 20 tested negative for poliovirus, while 28 remain under investigation. Kapavore said vaccines should arrive between 16 and 20 June. They have been secured thanks to the help of the Australian government and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, as well as technical and logistical support from WHO and UNICEF. The primary objective of the vaccination campaign will be to protect children and prevent further virus transmission. Kapavore called upon every MP to support vaccination efforts in their constituencies. He also vowed to scale up surveillance and biosecurity practices to prevent future cross-border transmission of polio and other infectious diseases.
The polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea is part of an alarming return of vaccine-preventable diseases in East Asia and the Pacific. The WHO has already warned about the issue, calling for better vaccine coverage and disease prevention measures.