Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health cover, says World Polio Day (24 October) is an important reminder that polio has not disappeared and that vaccination remains the best way to protect children.
Many parents today have never seen a case of polio. This is largely because successful vaccination programmes have reduced wild poliovirus cases worldwide by more than 99 per cent since 1988.
However, the virus has not been completely eradicated. Wild poliovirus continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while strains that come from the vaccine can cause outbreaks in communities where too few children are vaccinated.
The virus can also cross borders when people travel. This is why parents need to keep vaccinating their children, even when no local cases have been reported for many years.
What Is Polio?
Polio, also called poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It mainly affects children under five, but an unvaccinated person of any age can become infected.
The virus enters through the mouth and multiplies in the throat and intestines. It spreads mainly when tiny traces of an infected person’s faeces contaminate hands, food, water, toilets, toys, nappies, or other surfaces.
The virus can also spread through mucus or droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, although this is less common.
People may spread poliovirus even when they appear healthy. The virus can stay in an infected person’s stool for several weeks, letting it pass quietly through families and communities without anyone noticing.
What Symptoms Should Parents Look For?
Symptoms usually begin seven to 10 days after infection, although they may appear anywhere from four to 35 days later.
Most infected people have no symptoms or only experience a mild illness. When symptoms develop, they may include fever, tiredness, headache, nausea or vomiting, a sore or stiff neck, muscle pain, pain or weakness in the arms or legs.
Mild symptoms usually last between two and 10 days, and most people recover fully. However, someone with few or no symptoms can still pass the virus to others.
Around one in every 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually affecting the legs. Paralysis can develop within hours and may be permanent.
Between 5 and 10 per cent of people who become paralysed die when the muscles needed for breathing stop working.
Can Polio Be Treated?
There is no cure or medicine that can remove poliovirus from the body. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and preventing complications.
A child may need pain relief, physiotherapy, mobility support, or help with breathing. Physiotherapy can improve movement and prevent the muscles and joints from becoming stiff, but it cannot reverse permanent paralysis.
Some survivors develop post-polio syndrome many years later. This could cause new muscle weakness, pain, tiredness, and difficulty completing everyday activities.
How Does Vaccination Protect Children?
The national childhood immunisation programme uses two types of polio vaccine:
- Oral polio vaccine: Two drops given by mouth to build protection in the intestines and reduce the spread of the virus.
- Inactivated polio vaccine: An injection containing an inactive virus that cannot cause polio. It helps protect against paralysis.
Children should receive the oral polio vaccine at birth and six weeks. The inactivated polio vaccine is included in the hexavalent combination vaccine given at six, 10, and 14 weeks, followed by a booster at 18 months.
Routine childhood vaccinations are available at public clinics. Parents and caregivers should take their child’s Road to Health Booklet to every clinic visit so that a healthcare worker can check which vaccines have been given and identify any missed doses.
If a dose has been missed, it is not too late, it is too late. A healthcare professional can arrange for your child to catch up, and the child will not usually need to restart the entire course.
Children should also receive extra polio drops if they fall within the target group of an official vaccination campaign, even if their routine vaccinations are up to date.
What Is Vaccine Derived Poliovirus?
The oral vaccine contains a weakened form of the virus. In extremely rare cases, this weakened virus could circulate for a long time in a community where many children are unvaccinated. It can then gradually change into a form capable of causing illness and paralysis.
These outbreaks are linked to low vaccination coverage, not high vaccination coverage. When enough children are vaccinated, the weakened virus cannot circulate long enough to change.
Conclusion
Polio has no cure, and an infected person can spread the virus without knowing it. Parents can help protect their children by keeping vaccinations up to date, participating in official vaccination campaigns, washing hands with soap, using clean water, and disposing of nappies and human waste safely. If you are unsure about your child’s health or need more information, contact Affinity Health through its 24/7 Telephonic Medical Consulting Hotline.
About Affinity Health
Affinity Health is South Africa’s leading health cover provider, offering you a range of options at affordable rates, including access to the widest national provider network. We understand the importance of having medical insurance that meets your needs, budget, and lifestyle. Our healthcare products are designed to protect you and your family when it matters most. We strive to give our members peace of mind and the highest standard of service. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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Tony Weaver: A veteran photojournalist, foreign correspondent, and editor, Tony Weaver is a prominent figure in Western Cape print media. Having covered guerrilla conflicts across Southern Africa and served in leadership roles for top regional broadsheets, Weaver’s environmental reporting, photojournalism, and opinion columns have deeply influenced Cape Town’s print heritage.
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