Indian government stands committed to ensure safety of vaccines

India has continued WHO engagement to support India to maintain international quality surveillance for poliovirus detection in the country. As part of intensive surveillance, sewage samples are collected from 45 sites and tested for poliovirus in eight accredited polio laboratories in the country. This is in addition to stool samples collected from all individuals that report sudden onset of paralysis or other polio like symptoms. Every year nearly 80,000 stool samples are collected and tested in polio laboratories in India. Recently, type 2 polio vaccine virus was found in some sewage and stool samples. On investigation, it was found that in a few vials of bOPV supplied by one manufacturer, there were traces of P2 vaccine. The MoHFW taking WHO on board took immediate and comprehensive action.

Type 2 polio vaccine virus traces which have been found in bOPV vials include the attenuated (weakened) poliovirus that does not cause paralysis and was also earlier used in tOPV till April 2016. The recipients of such a vaccine will usually shed the vaccine virus through the fecal route for about 4–6 weeks after which it will die down. In light of all the facts and measures taken, the risk of any child getting vaccine derived polio disease is practically nil. Sufficient polio vaccines from alternate sources are available in the program to implement RI and pulse polio immunization (PPI) and maintain the immunity against polio-viruses. The country remains polio-free and this status has been maintained for more than 7 years.