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25/10/2010

Afghanistan

New bivalent polio vaccine playing key role in global polio eradication

Immunogenicity of bivalent types 1 and 3 oral poliovirus vaccine: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial

A child is immunized in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan on a memorable day for polio eradication: 16 December 2009, the first day the groundbreaking bivalent oral polio vaccine was ever used. Cornelia Walther/UNICEF

A head to head trial against current poliovirus vaccines has found that the new bivalent oral vaccine against poliovirus, which targets both the remaining types of poliovirus concurrently, induces a stronger immune response than the traditional trivalent vaccine and a similar immune response to the latest monovalent (monovalent type 1 or monovalent type 3) vaccines. Furthermore, it is easier to administer, allowing children to be immunised against the two remaining types of wild poliovirus in a single oral dose. These are the conclusions of an Article published Online First in The Lancet.

For details, please go to:
http://www.thelancet.com