WHO declares Philippines polio-free again

According to an international news agency, this success in eradicating Polio from the Philippines has also created hope for a successful COVID vaccine drive in a country where there is a lot of mistrust regarding the shot.

At least 17 people were infected with polio, but the health authorities said they have not detected the virus in a child or the environment in the past 16 months.

More than 80 per cent of unvaccinated children were immunised in the nationwide effort, which Dr Rabindra Abeyasingh said was "adequate to interrupt the transmission".

Polio re-emerged in the Philippines in 2019 after nearly two decades, after which a nationwide campaign was launched to protect the disease from crippling millions of children.

About 17 people were infected, but medical officials say no virus has been detected in any child or environment in the past 16 months.

"We are celebrating polio eradication," said Rabindra, a representative of the World Health Organization in the Philippines.

The joint campaign protected more than 80 per cent of children who had not been vaccinated against polio, which Dr Rabindra said was "enough to stop the transmission of the virus."

Polio in southeast Asian country began in 2019 shortly after the deadly dengue fever and measles epidemic.

There is no cure for polio as it is a highly contagious disease and can lead to stroke and even death.

Health officials in the Philippines hope that the successful polio vaccination effort will be replicated in the Corona vaccine campaign.

So far, only 1.6 million people in the Philippines have received both doses of the coronavirus shot.

Supply shortages and safety concerns are being blamed for the slowdown.

"We have various surveys that indicate that people have little faith in the vaccine, but this (polio) campaign has proven otherwise," said the Philippine Under-Health Secretary.