Vaccination coverage for poliomyelitis is 89%

The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Eladio Perezindicated on Wednesday that the Dominican Republic is 89% covered by vaccination against poliomyelitis, measles and rubella and that the last case of poliomyelitis in the country it has been documented in 2001.

“We currently have excellent coverage of a 89.2%. The hedging was effective, but we cannot be negligent. We continue to work for this, “she said.

The doctor explained that these values ​​are identified by taking the amount of children up to 5 years of age and therefore “it is a dynamic, constant work” because every year more children are born and others turn six.

“In the case of polio, we have more than 20 years since a case was reported or identified in the country. In the case of measles, we already have more than 10 years without cases. This speaks to the coverage that is protecting the population.”Ronald SkeweDirector of Epidemiology“

“We have the aspiration to raise it more because we understand that the greater the coverage, the greater the protection,” said the epidemiologist, while acknowledging that the Vaccination Day of the Americaslaunched in April, it contributed to the achievement of such a high coverage percentage.

Two types of vaccines

Pérez explained that in the country two types of vaccine polio, one oral and one injected. The aim is to further increase vaccination coverage and gradually eliminate oral vaccination until only the injected one is left.

“Last year we introduced another one of the injected ones and this year we also plan to launch another one. resolution to introduce another one until little by little we eliminate oral vaccination, because we understand that injectable vaccination has an excellent use ”, explained the doctor.

Polio in New Yorkthreat to DR?

When the Deputy Minister is asked about the proximity of Dominicans and New Yorkers in the state of New YorkUnited States, where last July the first case of polio since 2013Pérez commented “that people can come here with the problem, maybe, but if we have a high percentage of vaccinated children, there will be no consequences”.

“When you have a disease that hasn’t appeared for so long, a single case attracts attention“, he highlighted.

In the United States, the type of strain that acts is type II.

The provincial authorities Rocklandwhere the case was identified, he ordered a study of the wastewater to discover the spread of the virus and launch the alert for a state of emergency.

The polio or poliomyelitis it is a sometimes disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The disease mainly affects infants and children under the age of 5, but anyone who is not vaccinated can get it.

There is no curebut vaccination has proven to be an effective prevention strategy.