Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication–People’s Republic of China, 1990-1996

In 1988, the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a resolution to eradicate poliomyelitis from the region by the end of 1995. The People’s Republic of China has made rapid progress toward this goal by implementing the four WHO-recommended strategies for polio eradication: 1) achieving and maintaining high routine vaccination coverage levels among children aged < 1 year with at least three doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV); 2) administering supplementary doses of OPV to all young children during National Immunization Days (NIDs) to rapidly interrupt poliovirus transmission; 3) establishing sensitive systems of surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and virologic surveillance for poliovirus; and 4) conducting “supplementary immunization activities” (SIAs)–localized campaigns targeted at high-risk areas where poliovirus transmission is most likely to persist at low levels. These strategies have resulted in the apparent interruption of wild poliovirus transmission in China. In 1995, no indigenous wild polioviruses were deteced despite a strengthened surveillance system. This report describes progress toward achievement of the eradication goal and updates the status of polio-eradication efforts in China during 1990-1996.