Half a Million Cuban Children to Be Vaccinated Against Polio

Nearly half a million Cuban children will be immunized at the 54th National Anti- Polio Vaccination Campaign, which first phase will take place from March 9 to 15, Dr. Miguel Angel Galindo, an official of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP by its Spanish acronym), announced.

In an exclusive interview with ACN, Dr. Galindo, Advisor to the National Immunization Program of MINSAP, said that on that date 373 962 children from 30 days old to two years, 11 months and 29 days will be vaccinated.

Meanwhile, in the second stage of the campaign, scheduled from April 27 to May 3, those children will receive the second dose and also 111 323 children aged nine (nine years up to 11 months and 29 days) will be reactivated with a dose of anti-polio vaccine, said the founder of that program.

He warned that the immunogen (drops) should not be administered to children with high fever, vomiting or diarrhea and should wait 30 minutes before and after vaccination to ingest water.

Since 1962, when Cuba eliminated polio, and until 2014, about 83 million doses of this preparation, which has guaranteed the protection of the Cuban population under 68 years old, have been implemented in the country, he said.

Before the triumph of the Revolution only yellow fever in 1908 and smallpox in 1923 were eradicated in the Caribbean nation, the scientist recalled.

He stressed that six vaccine- preventable diseases and some severe forms of other ailments remain eliminated, while tetanus, Haemophilus meningitis, influenzae type b and meningococcal disease have ceased to be a health problem, having lower rates to 0.1 per 100 000 inhabitants.

Meanwhile, both Typhoid Fever and Hepatitis B have markedly reduced morbidity and mortality, he added.
As it is traditional, the 2015 anti- polio campaign shall involve all the doctors and nurses of the family of the country, responsible for health of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Federation of Cuban Women and technical personnel, among others, Dr. Galindo noted.