Polio vaccines: WHO position paper, March 2016-recommendations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vaccinology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) issues updated position papers on vaccines for diseases with international public health impact.
• This paper replaces the 2014 WHO polio vaccine position paper, reflecting the April 2016 global switch from trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV).

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the WHO's current recommendations on polio vaccine usage.
• To outline strategies for mitigating polio re-emergence risks post-oral polio vaccine (OPV) type 2 withdrawal.

Main Methods:

• The recommendations are based on evidence reviewed by the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).
• The position paper summarizes scientific evidence, including grading tables and evidence-to-recommendation tables.

Main Results:

• The WHO recommends the introduction of at least one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) into routine immunization schedules.
• This strategy aims to address the potential risk of type 2 poliovirus re-emergence after the withdrawal of Sabin type 2 strains from OPV.

Conclusions:

• The updated recommendations support global polio eradication initiatives.
• The position paper guides Member States on polio vaccine policy for large-scale immunization programs.