Thread by @teamtimteem

The @WHO declared Africa free of wild poliovirus last year. On the first anniversary, 3 polio survivors share their stories about living with polio and their hopes of a polio-free world. #ph260720 #polio #poliofree

Before #vaccines were developed, patients were put inside tank respirators known as “iron lung” to help them breathe during the early stages @CDCgov #ph260720 #polio #ironlung #cdcphil

#Polio is a devastating disease that mainly affects children under the age of 5. It has no cure but can be prevented with vaccines. Infection causes pain and paralysis, sometimes leading to death. @CDCgov #ph260720 #poli

Dr. Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin each developed a vaccine for polio. Salk’s inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) was found to be 80-90% effective in a large-scale trial. Sabin’s oral polio vaccine (OPV) is cheaper and easier to administer #ph260720 #vaccine

The @GlobalPolioEI was founded in 1988 in response to outbreaks around the world. How much has polio declined since then? #ph260720 #polio #eradication

THEN and NOW: 1. global decline in #polio cases by region; 2. estimate number of paralytic polio cases around the world in 1910 and 2016 @OurWorldInData #ph260720 #vaccine

THEN and NOW: 1. global decline in #poilo cases by region; 2. estimate number of paralytic polio cases around the world in 1910 and 2016 @OurWorldInData #ph260720 #vaccine

@GlobalPolioEI’s pillars of eradication: 1. Routine immunization – high infant immunization coverage with four doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the first year of life in developing and endemic countries, and routine immunization with OPV and/or IPV elsewhere #ph260720 #polio

@GlobalPolioEI’s pillars of eradication: 2. Supplementary immunization – organization of “National immunization days” to provide supplementary doses of oral polio vaccine to all children less than 5 years of age #ph260720 #polio #vaccine

@GlobalPolioEI’s pillars of eradication: 3. Surveillance – active surveillance for wild poliovirus through reporting and laboratory testing of all cases of acute flaccid paralysis among children less than fifteen years of age #ph260720 #polio #vaccine

@GlobalPolioEI’s pillars of eradication: 4. Targeted “mop-up” campaigns once wild poliovirus transmission is limited to a specific focal area #ph260720 #polio #vaccine

What can you do to end #polio? Learn. Share. Donate. endpolio.org #ph260720 #eradication