Polio cases reported in Nigeria
Rotary International News - 8 October 2007
Several news organizations have reported cases of vaccine-derived polio in northern Nigeria.
Vaccine-derived polio is extremely rare, occurring when the weakened form of the virus in the oral polio vaccine regains its abilities to cause disease. Though rare, vaccine-derived polio is a reality in areas such as northern Nigeria—one of four remaining polio-endemic countries- where several communities are markedly under-vaccinated against polio.
These cases underscore the importance of the efforts of Rotary International and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to reach every child with the polio vaccine.
For more information, please see Rotary's official statement.