DUSHANBE, May 7, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik children under the age of six are banned from entry into Russia due to a polio outbreak reported in Tajikistan, Russia’s news agency Interfax reported yesterday, referring to Gennady Onishchenko, the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare.

“We have informed the Ministry of Health of Tajikistan of this,” the Russian head sanitary physician told Interfax on Thursday.

According to him, the ban will be effective until the polio situation in Tajikistan becomes stable or the national polio immunization campaign amongst the children aged 0 to 6 is finished.

“We have taken such measures because the 10-month-old girl from Tajikistan was hospitalized in Angarsk on suspicion of having contracted polio,” said Onishchenko, “The girl has been hospitalized and all necessary medical measures have been taken.  This case does not pose any threat to Russian children.”

He added that 1,000 doses of polio vaccine had been delivered to Tajikistan for Russian children, whose parents are working in Tajikistan.

We will recall that Deputy Health Minister also Head Sanitary Physician of Tajikistan, Azamjon Mirzoyev, told Asia-Plus on April 30 that special ambulance rooms provided with polio vaccine have been established at all international airports and railroad stations of Tajikistan and all passengers under the age 15 traveling outside the country will be vaccinated against polio.