Polio is an acute infectious disease that can affect the human nervous system. It is caused by the poliovirus, which is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, most often through dirty hands, water, or food. Children under the age of 5 are most susceptible to polio. The disease can be asymptomatic, but in severe cases it can lead to paralysis and even death. The poliovirus affects the spinal cord and can leave a child permanently paralyzed.
The only reliable protection against polio is vaccination. According to the National Immunization Schedule of Ukraine, children are immunized against polio at 2, 4, 6, 18 months, 6 and 14 years of age. The vaccination coverage for 7 months in the Donetsk region is as follows:
children under one year of age are covered by vaccinations at 49.2%;
children 18 months old – at 55.8%;
children 6 years old – at 58.6%;
children 14 years old – at 58.3%.
If, for any reason, a child has not been vaccinated on time, it is necessary to contact your family doctor, who will draw up an individual vaccination schedule. This year, 943 children aged 1 to 17 in the Donetsk region have caught up on their polio vaccinations.
Thanks to vaccinations, the world has almost eradicated this disease: cases of polio are now only reported in a few countries. The World Health Organization has set a goal to completely eliminate polio worldwide. The last case of wild poliovirus in Europe was reported in 2002. In Ukraine, polio remains a real threat due to insufficient vaccination coverage, which should be at least 95% annually.
Even one unvaccinated child in a community can become a link in the chain of virus transmission. Polio is an example of how vaccination can save millions of lives and the future of entire generations.
You can find out about the availability of vaccines in medical institutions in the Donetsk region on the official website of the State Institution “DONETSK OCCPH MOH” at the link State Institution “DONETSK OCCPH MOH” https://dn.cdc.gov.ua/citizens/vaccination/
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State Institution “DONETSK OCCPH MOH”