Israel stops vaccinating against oral polio, for fear of resistant strains developing

The Health Ministry has decided to phase out vaccinating with the bOPV component against polio, which is given orally as part of the routine vaccinations, due to concerns over the development of resistant polio strains.

The decision was based on the fact that strain 3 of polio, against which the oral vaccine protects, has been mutated worldwide, and there is a possible risk that the oral component will lead to the development of resistant strains of strain 1 or 3.

It was also found that the oral vaccine component does not protect against the VDPV2 strain that is currently common worldwide.

The decision to stop the oral vaccine is in accordance with World Health Organization policy.

The WHO is expected to announce it's recommendation to stop giving the oral vaccine in the European region soon due to the fear of unvaccinated people being exposed to aggressive type 1 and 3 strains of the vaccine.

At the same time, the production lines of the components in Western countries are closed.

New guidlines

In the new guidelines, the Health Ministry ordered that starting in October 2024, one dose of the bOPV vaccine must be given at 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 vaccine administration in Israel will be finalized in the first half of 2025. At the same time, the Health Ministry 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 entirely extinct.

The primary outbreak was observed mainly among children in areas where the vaccination rate was lower than usual, especially among ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) 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 serious symptoms, but in other cases, signs of paralysis, one of the typical signs of the disease, were observed.

The Health Ministry 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 to raise awareness and ensure the vaccination of all children.

In Israel, the polio vaccine is administered via 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, followed by a second dose at the age of four months. The vaccine continues with a third dose given at six months and a fourth dose at one year. At the age of six, an additional booster dose is given.

The vaccine is given in two forms: the inactivated vaccine (IPV), which is injected as part of the five-part vaccine, and the weakened vaccine (OPV), which, as mentioned, will be discontinued during the year 2024 and be given by drops.

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 may 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.