Polio vaccines' use stopped due to fear of type 2 strain

Hyderabad: The Telangana Drugs Control Administration has asked district medical and health officials not to use polio vaccines for the children in the state as it is suspected that type 2 strain of polio is in these vaccines.  The weekly immunisation schedule of the government will not include the polio vaccine till tests clear the doubt about the type 2 strain.

Joint director of DCA Surendranath Sai said, “We have asked the health department in TS not to use any polio vaccines as there is a suspicion that type 2 strain is in this vaccine. The inspectors are going to pick up the samples from cold storage units and we have to send it for testing. Till then these vaccines will not be used.” The vaccines are procured by the Central government and supplied to the states. 

 The Central health ministry officials suspect that the vaccine with type 2 strain has been supplied to TS, Maharashtra and UP.  The samples of vaccines will be tested but that is a time-consuming affair as there is only one certified government laboratory. Till the results are out, the weekly programme of immunisation of the government will not have the polio vaccine. A senior officer of a pharmaceutical company said, “The type 2 strain is not only in the government chain of vaccines but also in the private sector. Biomed Pvt Ltd has 25 per cent hold in the private market too.”