Make Polio History on October 24, 2023

World Polio Day  is an opportunity to highlight efforts toward a polio-free world and honor the tireless contributions of those on the frontlines in the fight to eradicate polio from every corner of the globe.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) confirmed World Polio Day is on October 24, 2023, and has launched a Make Polio History campaign to rally existing and new supporters of polio eradication..... through vaccination programs.

Over the past few years, the GPEI has led the deployment of the type 2 novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2), which is genetically more stable than existing oral polio vaccines, with a lower risk of reversion to neurovirulence.

Approximately 750 million nOPV2 doses have been administered in more than 35 countries worldwide.

Unfortunately, polio outbreaks have been confirmed in various countries in 2023, led by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The World Health Organization confirmed on August 25, 2023, that the spread of poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and extended the emergency notice for an additional three months.

"It's Time to Make Polio History,' says U.S. CDC Director Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, in a related video message posted on YouTube on October 4, 2023. "It won't be easy, but making history never is. We have the tools and knowledge to ensure no child is paralyzed by polio again."

In the United States, the IPV polio vaccine is offered at most health clinics and pharmacies.