Polio vaccination campaign starts in Cuba

The 63rd National Bivalent Polio Oral Vaccination Campaign started in Cuba on Monday to keep this disease eliminated in the country, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) informed on its X profile.
 
All children from one month to two years, 11 months, and 29 days of age will be vaccinated with two doses in two stages. In the second stage, infants from nine years of age up to nine years, 11 months, and 29 days will be reactivated with one dose of the medicine.

The first phase of the current polio vaccination campaign coincides with the 22nd Vaccination Week of the Americas (VWA) and the 13th World Immunization Week (WIW) under the slogans “Act now to protect your future” and “Vaccines for a full life,” respectively.

According to MINSAP, the first phase is scheduled from this Monday to Saturday, April 27, and those infants who, due to problems, could not be vaccinated will take the recovery dose from Monday, April 29, to Friday, May 3.

Meanwhile, the second phase will be from Monday, June 17, to Friday, June 21. The recovery dose for those who could not be immunized should be from Monday, June 24 to Friday, June 28.

Poliomyelitis is an infectious-contagious disease that can invade the central nervous system. This illness can cause inflammation of the brain and the motor neurons of the spinal cord, producing muscle atrophy, paralysis, deformity, and even death, mainly in children.

Cuba was the first Latin American country to eradicate poliomyelitis since 1962. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) certified polio elimination in Cuba in 1995.

All Cuban population less than 70 is currently protected against this highly contagious childhood disease.