Fear of the formation of resistant polio strains in the oral vaccine: the Ministry of Health decided to gradually stop vaccinating with the bOPV component against polio given orally as part of the routine vaccinations. The recommendations were based on the fact that strain 3 of polio, against which the oral vaccine protects, is mutated worldwide, and on the other hand, there is a possible risk in the oral component of the formation of virulent strains of strain 1 or 3. In addition, it was found that the component of the oral vaccine does not protect against the VDPV2 strain, which is common in the world today.
The decision to stop the oral vaccine is in accordance with the policy of the World Health Organization, which should announce the recommendation to stop giving the oral vaccine in the European region, due to the fear of exposure of unvaccinated people to violent types 1 and 3 strains of the vaccine. At the same time, the production lines of the component in the western countries are closed.
In the new guidelines, the Ministry of Health ordered that starting in October 2024, one dose of the bOPV vaccine must be given at the age of six months only. For babies and toddlers between the ages of six months and up to a year and a half who have not yet been vaccinated, one vaccination dose can be completed. The cessation of the administration of the vaccine in Israel will be determined in the first half of 2025. At the same time, the Ministry of Health called for increasing the compliance rate for the inactivated polio IPV vaccine.
In recent months, several cases of polio infection have occurred among unvaccinated populations in Israel, which has caused renewed concern about outbreaks of diseases that were considered almost completely extinct. The main outbreak was observed mainly among children in areas where the vaccination rate was lower than usual, especially among ultra-Orthodox populations and in communities where there is a lack of awareness of the importance of vaccination. In these cases, some of the infected children did not show severe symptoms, but in other cases signs of paralysis were observed, which is one of the typical signs of the disease.
The Ministry of Health responded to these outbreaks by urgently calling on parents to vaccinate their children, especially in areas where cases of infection have been recorded. In addition, targeted vaccination campaigns were held in cities such as Jerusalem and Bnei Brak, in cooperation with local authorities and community organizations, with the aim of raising awareness and ensuring vaccination of all children.
In Israel, the polio vaccine is given as part of the milk drops as part of the national vaccination program. The first dose of the vaccine is given to babies at the age of two months, with a second dose at the age of four months. The vaccine continues with a third dose given at six months of age, and a fourth dose at one year of age. At the age of 6 years, another booster dose is given. The vaccine is given in two forms: the inactivated vaccine (IPV), which is injected as part of the pentavalent vaccine, and the weakened vaccine (OPV), which, as mentioned, will be discontinued during the year 2024, which is given by drops.
Polio, or polio, is a viral disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus is transmitted from person to person mainly through contact with infected feces or through contaminated food and water. After infection, the virus multiplies in the intestines and may penetrate the central nervous system. The initial symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat and vomiting. In most cases, the disease manifests itself as a mild flu-like syndrome, but in more severe cases the virus can damage the spinal cord and cause paralysis, especially in the lower limbs.
Most people who become infected with the virus do not develop serious symptoms, but about 1% of cases can lead to permanent paralysis and sometimes even death. The symptoms of the paralysis appear quickly, and with the damage to the nervous system, irreversible neurological changes may occur.