As with the flu and dengue, there can be several virus strains that may require different vaccines, or several vaccine doses. In the case of the Philippines, health experts say the two recent confirmed cases of polio were vaccine-derived. Abeyasinghe estimates that about 95 percent of children in the Philippines need complete immunization from polio. Unlike the vaccine against dengue, there is no controversy surrounding the polio vaccine, so it should be easier for the Department of Health to persuade parents to have their children immunized. Local governments and education officials must cooperate in the renewed campaign to prevent the resurgence of a killer disease.

Source: Philippine Star September 28, 2019 15:31 UTC