Impact of annual immunisation programme with oral polio vaccine on the prevalence of paralytic poliomyelitis

Lameness survey was conducted in a rural community development block of Haryana in 1985. Enumerators contacted school teachers, anganwadi workers and several key informants in the community to identify lame children in 1–11 years agegroup. Physician verified 219 lame cases to be due to poliomyelitis. Prevalence of poliomyelitis lameness was 7.3/ 1000 children born in 1974–76, 7.7/1000 children born in 1977–1980 and 2.3/1000 children born in 1981–1984 (expected to increase to 3.1/1000 when all children born in 1981–84 cross 5th year of life). Immmunisation coverage with 3 doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) was less than 10% during 1974–80 when immunisation was a clinic based activity. Coverages increased from 50 to 80% during 1981–85 when OPV was given in annual immunisation campaign. The results indicate that prevalence of paralytic poliomyelitis dropped at least by 60% after giving OPV in annual immunisation campaigns.