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 Published on October 19, 2019

 By May Lara Bea Labayog

Last September 19, the Department of Health (DOH) declared a polio outbreak in the Philippines. This marked the first time the vaccine-preventable disease became a major cause for alarm in the country since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Philippines free of wild polio in 2000.

Reports confirmed that a 3-year-old-girl from Lanao del Sur had an extremely rare strain of poliovirus called circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) type 2. This officially broke the Philippines’ 26-year polio-free streak, as the last known case of wild poliovirus in the country was recorded in 1993.

What is polio?

Polio or poliomyelitis is a dangerously lethal infectious disease. It causes fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and sudden onset of floppy arms or legs. Polioviruses spread from person to person, invading the person’s brain and spinal cord and causing paralysis.

Polioviruses only infect humans, dwelling in the infected person’s throat and intestines. They travel through the oral-fecal route, which means that polio spreads through food, water, and objects contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Thus, you can get infected if you touch contaminated surfaces and objects, or put them in your mouth.

What are the types of  poliovirus?

There are 3 types of wild poliovirus: types 1, 2, and 3. In September 2015, WPV2 was officially declared eradicated worldwide. WPV3 has not been detected since November 2012. As of today, WPV1 may be the only wild poliovirus that remains in circulation.

Meanwhile, VDPVs are forms of polioviruses arising from the weakened virus in the oral polio vaccine. Environmental samples from sewage in Manila and Davao tested positive for VDPV2. Additionally, officials isolated VDPV1 from samples collected in Manila.

If there are VDPVs, does that mean vaccines are unsafe?

In a word — NO. That should not be the takeaway from this, because it’s not true.

The oral polio vaccine contains a weakened version of the virus, just enough to alert the child’s immune system and trigger a protective response in the body. After six to eight weeks, the vaccine-derived virus exits the child’s body. By this time, some of it may have already changed to behave more like the wild poliovirus.

However, this will only be a problem if the population is severely under-immunized (meaning, there are enough unvaccinated children for the vaccine-derived virus to circulate, survive, and mutate). It will take 12 to 18 months for the VDPV to achieve neurovirulence (become strong enough to cause disease of the nervous system) in an under-immunized population.

Note that a properly immunized population WILL be safe from polio, whether wild or vaccine-derived. Sadly, the Philippines has remained below the 95% full immunization rate target for the last ten years.

Does vaccination work?

Vaccination prevents polio, plain and simple. Hence, the national routine immunization schedule for infants includes the polio vaccine. Babies receive one dose of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV)  3 ½ months after birth, along with 3 doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).

Children below the age of 5 are eligible for free OPV immunization. Meanwhile, children who did not get vaccinated on time may also avail catch-up immunizations.

MANILA -- The Philippines and China would assist future researchers as well as start-up companies from both countries through scholarships and partnerships, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said on Tuesday.

"The president of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) invited us to send a hundred scholars for MS (Master of Science) and PhD in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) areas whom they are willing to support with scholarships," he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Dela Peña said he had also extended an invitation to Chinese students to study in the Philippines, but without mentioning scholarship support.

The DOST chief has been encouraging Filipino students to pursue a doctorate in Science courses, saying that while there has been an increasing number of students taking up MS courses, "the number of PhDs is quite small". 

He has been telling Filipino students to take advantage of the DOST's scholarship grants.

Dela Peña earlier told the PNA that aside from strengthening the DOST's scholarship program, the agency is urging more people to take Science courses or become a researcher by going to the regions.

The DOST, he said, is taking advantage of the opportunities in the regions, by trying to address their specific needs through research, seeking the proposals of people who would like to contribute their research and expertise that would specifically address the needs in the countryside.

He added the Philippines and China will further strengthen partnerships and collaborations in the field of science and technology.

Just last month in Beijing, China, the DOST and CAS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that signify their intent to explore science and technology cooperation, especially in the fields of transportation, biomedical devices and telemedicine, smart cities, high-energy physics, and other areas that would be mutually agreed upon.

Both agencies may conduct the following activities: joint organization of bilateral symposia, joint conferences, training, and workshops; exchange of scientists, experts, and researchers; educational programs; joint research and development projects; and exchange of science and technology information and publications.

Dela Peña said CAS officials came to the Philippines and met with him last April regarding S&T collaboration.

He added that earlier in 2018, CAS also invited DOST officials for talks. 

Besides, dela Peña said that DOST and CAS want start-up companies from both the Philippines and China to get connected. (PNA)