The World Health Organization has declared the Philippines polio-free after a successful vaccination campaign that has raised hopes for COVID-19 inoculations in a country plagued by mistrust of jabs.
Polio re-emerged in the country in 2019, nearly two decades after its last cases were detected, sparking a nationwide effort to immunize millions of children against the crippling disease.
At least 17 people were infected, but health authorities said they have not detected the virus in the past 16 months. The 2019 outbreak began shortly after deadly dengue fever and measles epidemics and as vaccination coverage plunged partly due to the botched rollout of dengue shot a few years earlier.
More than 80 percent of unvaccinated children were immunized in the nationwide effort. Philippine health officials hope the success of the polio vaccination effort will be replicated in its rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
Polio re-emerged in the country in 2019, nearly two decades after its last cases were detected, sparking a nationwide effort to immunize millions of children against the crippling disease.
At least 17 people were infected, but health authorities said they have not detected the virus in the past 16 months. The 2019 outbreak began shortly after deadly dengue fever and measles epidemics and as vaccination coverage plunged partly due to the botched rollout of dengue shot a few years earlier.
More than 80 percent of unvaccinated children were immunized in the nationwide effort. Philippine health officials hope the success of the polio vaccination effort will be replicated in its rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
