On World Polio Day, We Call on Everyone to Help Maintain Sufficient Collective Immunity

World Polio Day is observed every year on October 24 to highlight the global effort to eradicate polio, and the National Public Centre (NPHC) reminds that one of the main objectives of the National Immunoprophylaxis Programme for 2019-2023 is to maintain Lithuania's status as a polio free country. The most important tool to achieve this goal is vaccination of children against poliomyelitis.

"It is very important that a sufficient proportion of population should vaccinate to achieve herd immunity against this vaccine-preventable infection, which is necessary to control the disease in society. In order to prevent local cases of poliomyelitis, more than 90 % of the population must be vaccinated against the disease. We also need to ensure the vaccination among immigrants from endemic countries and also of local residents going to endemic territories", - points out Daiva Razmuvienė, chief specialist of the Communicable Disease Management Department at NPHC.

According to the Preventive Vaccination Schedule for Children of the Republic of Lithuania, children aged 2, 4, 6, 18 months and 6-7 years are vaccinated against poliomyelitis. Five doses of this vaccine are needed to build up a sufficient immunity and prevent children from getting sick when they are exposed to the virus. 

According to the data possessed by NPHC, polio vaccination (children aged 1 year) coverage in 2022 remained not lower than 90%, unfortunately, a tendency of fewer and fewer children getting vaccinated every year is observed: in the year 2019, the vaccination coverage was 92.12 % and from then it declined to 91.35 %, 90.05 % and 90 % in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. 

Although the last case of poliomyelitis in Lithuania was registered in 1972, and since 2002, Lithuania, like all of Europe, has been considered a polio-free country, travelers to vulnerable countries remain at risk. According to the World Health Organization, in 2023 circulation of wild poliomyelitis virus (type 1) has been observed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mozambique.

Poliomyelitis is an acute viral infection that spreads through food, water and unclean hands. The disease is characterized by fever, general weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, severe pain in the neck and back, muscle spasm, neck stiffness, and flaccid paralysis of various muscle groups.

Last updated: 24-10-2023

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