Polio vaccines
Polio cannot be cured but through herd immunity, the spread of the virus can be prevented. There are 2 versions of the polio vaccination: an inactivated virus (IPV) and an attenuated virus (OPV). IPV can contain the disease better than OPV because OPV is made of attenuated strain of the virus which can exit the patient and continue to spread. However, IPVs take multiple doses to provide protection; not everyone is willing to take a series of vaccinations because of the time and effort it takes. Instead, OPVs are used throughout the world. By vaccinating children, polio can be eradicated from the world.
WPV1
The WPV3 strain of polio was eradicated globally just last year on October 24. WPV2 was eradicated globally in 2015. However, one strain of the polio, WPV1, continues to spread in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The efforts to eradicate polio are completely undermined by anti-vaccination movements. The eradication of the other two strains show that the polio disease can be eradicated; it’s a shame that people go against this fact, fighting against what would help the world.
Polio in Pakistan
The anti-polio movements are present in Pakistan, one of the places where WPV1 is still present. Antonio Guterres initiated a campaign in Pakistan to eradicate polio. A third of the children in Pakistan miss vaccinations because of inconvenience or misconception about vaccines- the campaign targets these children, aiming to vaccinate more than 39 million children. By vaccinating more children, herd immunity can protect the immunocompromised and the virus can be contained. It seems like a dream come true to end polio, but of course misinformation about vaccines are spread by anti-vaxxers, ruining the efforts to eradicate polio.
Microbiology 