The Central Vaccination Department on Tuesday clarified that vaccines with the type 2 virus, known to have caused polio cases, was not supplied to Maharashtra. A high-level meeting is slated in Delhi to discuss the polio vaccine issue on Wednesday.
Maharashtra state Health Minister Dr Deepak Sawant said, “The World Health Organisation (WHO) is cooperating in India for polio survey as per the international quality parameters. As a part of this survey, sewage water samples from 45 places in different states including Maharashtra were collected. These samples were examined in five recognised laboratories in the country. Along with sewage water, samples of stools were also regularly examined.”
Sawant added that around 75,000 stool samples were examined. “The use of virus infected polio vaccine produced by a certain company has been stopped in the state as per the directions of the central government,” Sawant said.
“But in last few days the type 2 virus was detected in sewage water and stools samples in some parts of Mumbai. After the scrutiny it was observed that these viruses were found in type 2 vaccines,” the minister said, adding that central government team conducted examinations and found that the virus was present in bOPV vials produced by a certain company.