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November 20, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Polio 'Will Be Conquered in Months'"

London Daily Telegraph (www.dailytelegraph.com) (11/20/02) P. 10; Derbyshire, David

The World Health Organization's head of vaccines and biologicals, Daniel Tarantola, believes that the eradication of polio could come "within months, rather than years," although the disease still exists in India, Pakistan, and Nigeria.  Polio was declared eradicated in Europe in June, and the disease has disappeared from the horn of Africa as well; India, where polio cases actually rose last year, is still a major stumbling block, however.  Eight countries currently have type one and three strains of polio, says London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine professor Paul Fine, but the type two strain has not been detected for over two years.

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