2-Year-Old Diagnosed with Suspected New Polio Strain Is Under Observation: Health Minister M Ampareen Lyngdoh

Meghalaya Health Minister M Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday said that the 2-year old child who has been diagnosed with a likely new strain of polio is under observation and the state government is closely monitoring his health condition.

“WHO is investigating the strain. We currently have focussed our attention on the child. He is under observation and is doing fine. The child is suspected to be infected by a suspected new strain of polio,” Minister Lyngdoh said adding that they are waiting for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to complete its investigation and if WHO will issue an advisory or a new vaccine would be announced for the new strain.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had announced on Monday that a review meeting will be held soon to discuss the potential case of polio in Meghalaya.

A two-year-old boy of Tikrikila village in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district was diagnosed with symptoms of poliomyelitis or polio at a hospital in Assam’s Goalpara. This sent the alarm bells ringing over a potential return of the virus after a decade. India was officially declared a polio-free state in 2014. The last polio case was detected in 2011.
Asked if vaccine hesitancy could be a reason for the child being diagnosed with this new strain of polio called ‘Wild Polio’, Minister Lyngdoh said that vaccine hesitancy is not a new phenomenon but now there is a battalion of health workers on the ground starting from the ASHA workers to mid-level health providers to doctors creating awareness and helping in getting vaccinations done.

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