World Polio Day is observed every year on 24th October to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, an American virologist who developed one of the first successful vaccines against poliomyelitis. According to literature, unless eradicated, every year, nearly two lakh poliomyelitis cases could occur. Thus, eradicating polio is crucial. This year's theme focuses on “ending polio”. Read on for more insights.
Poliomyelitis is a fatal disease and commonly infects children less than five years of age. There is no exact treatment available; however, vaccination is the only key to prevent infection and protect a child’s life. Therefore, immunizing every child to stop the transmission and making the world polio-free is of utmost importance. So far, vaccine-based eradication programs have reduced the cases of poliomyelitis up to 99.9% worldwide. However, unless and until polio is entirely eradicated,…
