The virus paralysed Arsh's upper body. "Even now he cannot walk. He can sit but if he is lying down, we have to help him get up and sit. He undergoes physiotherapy sessions at thje All India Institute of physical medicine and rehabilitation-Haji Alibut. But we are worried about his repeated hospitalisation," said Singh.
Two years after Thane's Arsh Singh contracted the vaccine derived polio virus (VDPV), his family's struggle seems to have no end. Almost every month, the family has to admit him to hospital for infections and have to shell out over Rs15,000 for his treatment.
"He was admitted on November 21 for a few days as he was not able to breathe. Apart from the hospitalisation cost, we have to give him an intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) injection every month, which itself costs around Rs 10,000," said Tejbahadur Singh, Arsh's father.
The virus paralysed Arsh's upper body. "Even now he cannot walk. He can sit but if he is lying down, we have to help him get up and sit. He undergoes physiotherapy sessions at thje All India Institute of physical medicine and rehabilitation-Haji Alibut. But we are worried about his repeated hospitalisation," said Singh.
Singh had to quit his job to attend to Arsh. "Arsh was administered the oral polio vaccine (OPV) nine times, apart from other vaccinations. It is bad luck that the vaccine that should have protected him put him in his present state. I had to leave my job to take care of him and now I am jobless. We are somehow managing to pay for the treatment," he said.
Meanwhile, another two-and-a-half-year-old child from Delhi was diagnosed with VDPV last month. Experts said the injectable polio vaccine can help eradicate the rare VDPV. A few days ago, the Centre launched an injectable vaccine as the final onslaught against eradication of the polio virus. "We hope that by next year, the binjectable polio vaccine is included in our program," said a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health official.
According to experts, the oral vaccine has three live attenuated strains of polio virus. "There is a one in over 2.5 million chance of contraction VDPV. It is good that the Central government has finally included the injectable vaccine in the routine immunisation program. This will help to do away with the rare risk of getting VDPV," said Dr Mukesh Sankhlecha, a paediatrician at Bombay hospital.
The injectable vaccine comprises of three heat-killed strains of the polio virus, so that active circulation of the virus cannot happen in the body. "Injectable vaccine is definitely a safer option. It zeroes the risk of VDPV infection to the child," said Dr Ashok Rathod, head of the paediatric department at JJ Hospital.
Viral spiral
Oral polio vaccine (OPV) contains an attenuated or weakened but live vaccine-virus, activating an immune response in the body. In rare cases, if the child's immunity is low, the virus can start circulating actively in the body of an immunised child. In areas of inadequate sanitation, excreted vaccine-virus can spread in the immediate community before eventually dying out. On rare occasions, if a population is seriously under-immunised, an excreted vaccine-virus can continue to circulate for an extended time.
Since 2000, more than 10 billion doses of OPV have been administered to nearly 3 billion children worldwide. As a result, more than 13 million cases of polio have been prevented, and the disease has been reduced by more than 99 per cent. During that time, 24 VDPV outbreaks took place in 21 countries, resulting in fewer than 760 VDPV cases.
Source: WHO
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