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Ukraine vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 outbreak - Situation Report #7 (19 November 2021)

Pays
Ukraine
Sources
GPEI
Date de publication

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • On 6 October 2021 a cVDPV2 outbreak was confirmed in Ukraine. As of 18 November 2021, testing for cVDPV2 in specimens collected among contacts of the index case has been completed. A total of 18 individuals resident in two oblasts (Rivne and Zakarpattya) had positive isolation of cVDPV2 in stool specimens; all specimens closely related. In Rivne province, cVDPV2 was isolated in the index AFP case, 7 household contacts (siblings) and 6 community contacts (schoolmates). In Zakarpattia province cVDPV2 was isolated in samples from 4 children (cousins with had had contact with the siblings of the AFP case). Genetic sequencing has demonstrated that the cVDPV2 is linked with the PAK-GB-1 emergence and the closest match was to an environmental sample from Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

  • The cVDPV2 outbreak has been declared as a public health emergency in Rivne and Zakarpattya. WHO has internally graded the outbreak as level 2.

  • GPEI experts worked with experts from the Ukraine Public Health Center (UPHC) in the development of a unified strategy to respond to the outbreak. The roadmap was presented to the VPI Task Force under facilitated by the Deputy Minister of Health on November 17. The following decisions were reached during the meeting:

a ) Strengthen AFP and environmental surveillance nationally

b) Implement a rapid response with Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) among unvaccinated children 6 months to 6 years of age to mitigate risk of paralysis.

c) Begin preparations for two nation-wide campaigns rounds with a type 2 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV2) to be conducted around February-March 2022.

d) Continue development of advocacy and communication messaging aligned with the immunization response to ensure the highest vaccination acceptance

  • A training for residents of the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) was conducted during November 15-17 by GPEI and UPHC experts (the total of 30 participants). After the training FETP members will visit several regions considered at high risk, to conduct an assessment of gaps in AFP and environmental surveillance for poliovirus.

  • Experts from the GPEI are working together with experts from the Ukraine Public Health Center (UPHC) in the development of an Outbreak Response Action Plan.