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Philippines

UNICEF-WHO Philippines: Polio Outbreak Situation Report #9 (9 November 2019)

Attachments

Highlights

  • 4th confirmed poliovirus type 2 case is a three-year old female from Maguindanao. Virus was found to be genetically linked to other 2 cases from Mindanao. Outbreak immunization for 18,268 children 0-59 months in the area was conducted on 4-8 November: 16,295 children (89.2%) vaccinated thus far.
  • Synchronized polio vaccination campaigns on 14-27 October covered 1,628,717 children under 5: 95.5% of the target. Preparations ongoing for the next round on 25 November-7 December in National Capital Region (NCR) and all provinces of Mindanao targeting 4,388,281 children 0-59 months.
  • Current polio outbreak resulting from persistently low routine immunization coverage, and poor sanitation and hygiene.
  • Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) is considered a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

Current Situation

The fourth confirmed polio case is a three-year old female from Lambayong in Sultan Kudarat province (Mindanao), who had not received any dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV). On 4 November, stool samples sent to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) in Japan tested positive for VDPV2.

This is the 3rd human case categorised as positive for cVDPV2: all polio viruses isolated are genetically linked. The case from Laguna is categorized as positive for immunodeficiency-related VDPV (iVDPV2).

In response to the 2 newly confirmed cases relatively close to one another, all located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Department of Health (DOH) has been conducting an outbreak immunization activity in Lambayong (Sultan Kudarat province), Datu Piang, and Datu Paglas (Maguindanao province) on 4-8 November for 18,268 children under 5.

A total of 16 environmental samples have been tested positive for poliovirus up to date: 11 for cVDPV1 and 5 for cVDPV2.