Zimbabwe has initiated an urgent campaign to vaccinate over 4 million children against polio following the detection of three cases caused by a rare mutation of the weakened virus used in oral vaccines. One of the cases involved a 10-year-old girl who was paralyzed in January.
Health authorities in Zimbabwe identified the mutated polio virus through laboratory tests on samples collected from sewage sites in various areas of the capital, Harare, late last year. The mutated virus originated from an oral vaccine used in the global polio eradication effort.
In rare instances, the live polio virus in vaccines can mutate into a form capable of causing new outbreaks, particularly in regions with poor sanitation and low vaccination rates.
The global effort to eradicate polio, led by organizations like the World Health Organization, has significantly reduced the number of polio cases worldwide by over 99% since 1988. However, most current cases of polio-related paralysis are linked to the vaccine itself.
Vaccination teams in Zimbabwe are actively delivering doses to children through door-to-door visits and health facilities. The country is introducing a new oral polio vaccine designed to minimize the risk of virus mutation.
Zimbabwe plans to administer more than 10 million vaccine doses in two rounds during February and March, targeting over 4 million children under the age of 10. Immunizing more than 95% of this population is crucial to prevent new polio outbreaks.
Last year, Afghanistan and Pakistan reported a few wild polio virus cases, while vaccine-derived polio viruses caused over 500 cases in nearly 24 countries, primarily in Africa.
Zimbabwe's last wild polio virus case was reported in 1986. Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora expressed serious concern over the recent polio detection but assured that the country is ready to respond promptly. The health ministry is collaborating with authorities from other African nations that have also detected polio viruses recently.
Polio, which can lead to total paralysis, primarily affects children under 5 years old. The virus spreads through contact with contaminated feces, water, or food, as well as through respiratory droplets from infected individuals.
