[Mali children antipoliomyelitic immunity before and after two oral immunizations against poliomyelitis (author’s transl)]

In tropical areas transport and storage of living antipoliomyelitic vaccine are difficult and consequently it is considered as hazardous to get a correct immunity with this vaccine. Still, good results have been obtained in Mali children with Sabin vaccine. A previous virological survey has shown that 31 p. 100 of children below 3 years carry enterovirus which are, for 30 p. 100 of them, wild poliovirus. In a serological survey conducted during the same period, near 50 p. 100 of the children in that age group were seronegative for the 3 types of virus and 90 p. 100 of the children between 4 to 7 had neutralizing antibodies against type I, 88 p. 100 against type II and 67 p. 100 against type III. By doubling or trebling the immunizing dose at the first vaccination, the following results have been observed after the second vaccination: 86 p. 100 of the immunized children under 3 years had neutralizing antipoliomyelitic antibodies (titre 1/10) against type I and II and 64 p. 100 against type III, whereas, in the elder group (from 4 to 7) the conversion rate is 100 p. 100 for types I and II and 96 p. 100 for type III.