DUSHANBE, April 19, 2011, Asia-Plus -- A planned polio immunization campaign was launched in Tajikistan on April 18, Shamsiddin Jobirov, head of the Immunoprophylactic Center of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the first round of immunization campaign against polio will run April 18-22 and it will be followed by another round on May 23-27.  Almost 1.1 million children aged 0 to 5 across the country will receive two drops of the live-saving polio vaccine during each round.

“Despite success of last year’s National immunization Days against polio, full eradication of polio in the country requires further efforts,” said Jobirov, “Therefore, taking into account unfavorable polio situation in neighboring Afghanistan we have decided to carry out two additional rounds of immunization against polio this year upon recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and under support of UNICEF.”

Similar polio immunization campaigns are carried out in all Central Asia’s countries, he added.

We will recall that polio reappeared in Tajikistan last year after a 13-year absence.  458 polio cases were registered in the country in March-April 2010.  Quick and repeated vaccination campaigns targeting children stopped the polio outbreak in Tajikistan.  Six rounds of National Immunization Days against polio were carried out in Tajikistan last year under support of WHO, UNICEF and other international partners.