Cuba concludes poliovirus vaccination campaign amid Covid-19

Cuba has just concluded its 60th national bivalent oral poliovirus vaccination campaign amid the battle against Covid-19 that still shows high levels of contagion in the country.

Over 400,000 children have been vaccinated from February 22 through Saturday, so Cuba guarantees to keep polio eradicated, a disease that causes flaccid acute paralysis and leaves a notable motor disability in infants.

Dr. Lena López, head of the Immunization Program for the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), told local television that poliovirus vaccination coverage reached more than 95% of all expected age groups, thereby ensuring indicators that support polio eradication.

Present Poliovirus Campaign was rolled out amid special conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leading local authorities to take actions such as taking vaccination sites to family doctor's offices in order to bring service closer to community.

Hygienic-epidemiological protocol rigors for greater protection from Covid-19 was another the country´s priorities, said the specialist, who affirmed the entire vaccination process complied with the World Health Organization standards.

Around 330,000 children under three years of age got the first poliovirus vaccine dose in this year.

In Cuba, in addition to polio, six other vaccine-preventable diseases are eradicated including rubella, measles and mumps.