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Vaccine-linked polio hits Nigeria | Vaccine-linked polio hits Nigeria |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Nigeria is fighting a rare outbreak of a vaccine-derived form of polio, says the UN's World Health Organization. | Nigeria is fighting a rare outbreak of a vaccine-derived form of polio, says the UN's World Health Organization. |
It says 69 children in the north have caught the paralysing disease from others who had already been immunised. | It says 69 children in the north have caught the paralysing disease from others who had already been immunised. |
The WHO says such rare outbreaks have occurred where immunisation campaigns did not reach enough of the population. | The WHO says such rare outbreaks have occurred where immunisation campaigns did not reach enough of the population. |
In 2003 Islamic leaders brought a temporary halt to the vaccine campaign in the north saying it was a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslim women. | In 2003 Islamic leaders brought a temporary halt to the vaccine campaign in the north saying it was a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslim women. |
The WHO says this rare outbreak of vaccine-derived polio demonstrates the need for more vaccination, not less. | The WHO says this rare outbreak of vaccine-derived polio demonstrates the need for more vaccination, not less. |
But the concern is that the cause of the outbreak could be misinterpreted by people here and reinforce their scepticism of the whole vaccine campaign. | But the concern is that the cause of the outbreak could be misinterpreted by people here and reinforce their scepticism of the whole vaccine campaign. |
Scare stories | Scare stories |
The WHO says the outbreak occurred when some of those who had received the oral polio vaccine excreted a mutated form of the virus which infected those who were not immunised. | |
It says the outbreak is ongoing but slowing because of the continuing vaccination campaign, and the last reported case was in August. | It says the outbreak is ongoing but slowing because of the continuing vaccination campaign, and the last reported case was in August. |
The WHO says the outbreak occurred because not enough people were receiving the polio vaccine in the first place. | The WHO says the outbreak occurred because not enough people were receiving the polio vaccine in the first place. |
Northern Nigeria still has a low coverage rate for the vaccination campaign, a legacy of a temporary halt to the programme in 2003. | Northern Nigeria still has a low coverage rate for the vaccination campaign, a legacy of a temporary halt to the programme in 2003. |
Those scare stories built on existing traditional scepticism of Western medicine. | Those scare stories built on existing traditional scepticism of Western medicine. |
But more recently the vaccination programme has made some progress. | But more recently the vaccination programme has made some progress. |
Polio cases as a whole are down on last year, in part because of a new programme of polio victims accompanying immunisation teams to demonstrate to parents the risks of not having their children vaccinated. | Polio cases as a whole are down on last year, in part because of a new programme of polio victims accompanying immunisation teams to demonstrate to parents the risks of not having their children vaccinated. |
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