How Should We Prepare for an Outbreak of Reintroduced Live Polioviruses?
by Kimberly M. Thompson and Radboud J. Duintjer Tebbens, Future Virology 2017; 12(2):41-44, doi:10.2217/fvl-2016-0131

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What are the study’s main findings?
What are the study’s main recommendations?
Background on polio

What are the study’s main findings?

• Recent detection of serotype 2 circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV2s) and serotype 1 wild polioviruses highlight the threat that inaccessible areas pose to the success of polio eradication.
• Finding ways to access and vaccinate individuals in these areas remains the only way to end all live poliovirus transmission.
• Following global cessation of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) use, which occurred already for serotype 2 in 2016, key areas of risk management include preventing and responding to cVDPVs, ongoing surveillance, screening and treatment with polio antiviral drugs of immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived poliovirus excretors, containment, routine immunization with inactivated poliovirus vaccine, and outbreak response and stockpile planning.
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• Reducing the probability and consequences of potential reintroductions of live polioviruses will require careful risk management choices and investments now and into the future.
• The Global Polio Eradication Initiative should develop a plan that considers all of the issues associated with OPV restart for one or more poliovirus serotypes, even if we hope we will never need it.
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