[Last phase: eradication]

This article presents what is considered the last phase of the eradication of polio in Spain, which took 25 years during the period 1963-1988, in the wake of the sharp decline that occurred in the incidence of the disease by introducing Sabin attenuated vaccine in 1963. This should have led to the disappearance of the disease in a short period of time, although it was not due to decreased vaccination and epidemiological surveillance until 1976. The last indigenous case was in 1988. In 1982 Rafael Najera assumed the leadership of the National Center of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology Health, the first goal of his team was the eradication of polio from our country, introducing the criteria of WHO classification and characterization studies of intertípica virus isolates.