POLIO [to 14 May 2016]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

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Polio this week as of 11 May 2016
:: From the 17 April to the 1 May, 155 countries and territories participated in the historic trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine switch, withdrawing the type two component of the vaccine to protect future generations against circulating vaccine derived polioviruses. Track the switch live.

:: Liechtenstein has contributed 15 000 Swiss francs to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative through Rotary International. With the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s pledge to triple commitments made to polio eradication, this brings Liechtenstein’s contribution for 2016 to a per-capita contribution of more than 2 Swiss francs for every inhabitant of the country.

The Trivalent to Bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine Switch
:: Between 17 April and 1 May, the type 2 component of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is being removed from use through a globally synchronized switch from the trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine. This is the first stage of objective 2 of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 to withdraw OPV in a phased manner starting with the type 2 component following the eradication of wild poliovirus type 2 in September 2015.

:: Thanks to the efforts of a wide range of stakeholders from Ministries of Health, health workers, volunteers, switch monitors, WHO, UNCEF and partners of the World Health Organization, confirmation has been received that 152 countries have completed the switch.

:: Follow a live update of which countries have undergone the switch. Learn more about why the switch is such an important part of ensuring a polio-free world through this series of videos.

:: The following indicators are being carefully tracked to ensure the switch goes smoothly. As of 10 May:
…154 of 155 (99%) countries and territories have stopped using the trivalent oral polio vaccine.
…Independent monitoring to ensure the switch goes smoothly has begun in 149 of 153 countries (98%).
…The National Validation Committee has received switch monitoring data from 45 of 153 countries.
…The WHO Regional Office has received the National Validation Report from 43 countries.

Selected Country Levels Updates [excerpted]
Afghanistan
:: One new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was reported in the past week in Shahwalikot district of Kandahar, with onset of paralysis on 4 April. The total number of WPV1 cases for 2016 is now five, compared to one reported by this date in 2015.

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Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 13 May 2016, vol. 91, 19 (pp. 249–256)
Contents:
250 Progress towards polio eradication worldwide, 2015–2016