The government Thursday urged all parents to get their children vaccinated against polio, amid reports that a few batches of the oral vaccine were found contaminated in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana.
The health ministry said the government in consultation with the WHO has taken measures to ensure all vaccines used are safe and effective, an official statement stated.
The statement was issued amid concerns after a few batches of the oral polio vaccine used in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana were found to have traces of Polio Virus Type-2, which has been eradicated worldwide.
It stated that the use of bivalent oral polio vaccine manufactured by a particular manufacturer has been stopped under the immunisation programme and all stocks from the manufacturer have been withdrawn.
Traces of Polio Virus Type-2 were found in some batches of oral polio vaccine manufactured by a Ghaziabad-based pharmaceutical company.
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"There are other bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine manufacturers who have been providing the polio vaccine. The polio vaccines supplied by these other manufacturers have been tested and conform to all the recommended standards.
"In order to ensure that children receive safe and effective vaccines, the vaccines from these manufacturers are being used under the programme," the statement said.
India continues to be polio-free for past more than seven years. However, since polio cases are still occurring in a few neighbouring countries, India needs to maintain population immunity against polio to mitigate risk of importation.
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