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July 15, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Campaign to Wipe Out Polio Will Succeed Despite Artificial Virus" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (07/12/02); Fowler, Jonathan

World Health Organization anti-polio program coordinator Bruce Aylward said Friday that the production of a synthetic poliovirus will not stop efforts to eliminate polio worldwide, noting that there is quite a difference between test tube and lab work and actually getting the virus into a population.  He also pointed out that the virus produced in the study was a quite weakened form.  Researchers reported last week that they had assembled the virus using a genetic blueprint they took from the Internet and mail-ordered materials from a laboratory supply service.  Aylward said the findings have no significant implications for the effort to eliminate polio worldwide, and he added that polio vaccines would still be stockpiled to respond to any potential outbreaks, whether natural or intentional.

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