Polio surge in Nigeria after vaccine virus mutates

[Celebration]

http://www.physorg.com/news169465879.html

Polio, the dreaded paralyzing disease stamped out in the industrialized world, is spreading in Nigeria. And health officials say in some cases, it's caused by the vaccine used to fight it.

In July, the World Health Organization issued a warning that this vaccine-spread virus might extend beyond Africa. So far, 124 Nigerian children have been paralyzed this year - about twice those afflicted in 2008.


............snip......................

In 2007, health experts reported that amid Nigeria's ongoing outbreak of wild polio viruses, 69 children had also been paralyzed in a new outbreak caused by the mutation of a vaccine's virus.

Back then, WHO said the vaccine-linked outbreak would be swiftly overcome - yet two years later, cases continue to mount. They have since identified polio cases linked to the vaccine dating back as far as 2005.

.............snip.................

Experts have long believed epidemics unleashed by a vaccine's mutated virus wouldn't last since the vaccine only contains a weakened virus strain - but that assumption is coming under pressure. Some experts now say that once viruses from vaccines start circulating they can become just as dangerous as wild viruses.

[trotsky]

1. It is important to note that due to lack of funds,

polio immunization in poorer countries uses the old oral vaccine, which contains a live but weakened virus. It has always been known that this can potentially cause polio.

In the US and other industrialized countries, a killed virus vaccine is used, so this is not something to fear or panic over. A pittance could allow the killed virus vaccine to be used in all countries, but of course we have other priorities like killing people in Iraq.

[truedelphi]

4. These days, there is no lack of funding - as Bill Gates'

Foundation has spread itself all over the world, so that wherever there is a child, there is a vaccine.

[LeftishBrit]

5. I only wish that for every child there was a vaccine...

but millions of children die from no vaccine, and some die, as in this case, from inferior vaccines.

[LeftishBrit]

6. Agreed.

There used to be a lot of warnings that people with weakened immunity should not have the oral polio vaccine, or have close contact with others who had just had it. For most people, it was much safer than not having it; but not for everyone. The newer vaccine is much safer.

[Warpy]

2. Sabin vaccine + poor sanitation = tragedy

There had already been cases transmitted to the parents of vaccinated children, now this.

Unfortunately, the Sabin vaccine is what is preferred in the bush as it's stable at ambient temperature, while the Salk vaccine, which uses a dead virus, is not. In addition, the Sabin vaccine is given by mouth, while the Salk vaccine must be injected, making it more expensive.

It seems the Nigerian shamans and religious leaders were right to be extremely cautious about this vaccine, even though they had all the wrong reasons.

The only way to do this safely is to quarantine newly vaccinated children away from everyone until they're no longer shedding virus, something the villages are not going to tolerate.

The bush vaccination program will either have to be an expensive one or it will be a bust.

[Celebration]

3. well, on a positive note

The vaccines that cause deadly viruses to mutate will in turn cause more vaccines to be have to be made, enriching the coffers of the pharmaceutical industry.

[hedgehog]

7. I suspect the problem isn't the vaccine so much, but rather in

the low of low vaccination rates and poor sanitation:

But in rare instances, as the virus passes through unimmunized children, it can mutate into a strain dangerous enough to ignite new outbreaks, particularly if immunization rates in the rest of the population are low.