No infected polio vaccine in Maharashtra: Minister

MUMBAI: Polio vaccines infected by Type 2 virus and produced by a particular company were not supplied to Maharashtra, the Central Vaccination Department clarified, state health minister Deepak Sawant said on Tuesday. A high-level meeting in this regard will be held in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Sawant said World Health Organization (WHO) was cooperating with India for a polio survey as per international norms. As part of the survey, sewage samples from 45 places in various states, including Maharashtra, were collected. The samples were examined at five recognized laboratories in the country.

Samples of stools were also regularly examined. Each year, around 75,000 samples are examined. Because of the polio vaccination programme, the risk factor among children has reduced, experts said. The use of virus-infected polio vaccines produced by that company has been stopped as per the Centre’s directions.