World Polio Day (24 October) History, Significance, Theme and Observation

World Polio Day Quick Facts

World Polio Day Brief

World Polio Day is celebrated every year on 24 October all over the world. Jonas Sock developed the vaccine against polio. This day is celebrated to pay tribute to him. The Government of India launched the Polio Eradication Campaign in the year 1995. On March 27, 2014, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) declared India polio-free.

World Polio Day History

The main objective of celebrating this day is to spread awareness among the people about the disease like polio. Polio is an infectious disease that affects the entire body. The victims of this disease are mostly children. Polio is also called 'poliomyelitis' or 'Baby Stroke'. It is a disease that has affected many nations badly. Although polio has been completely eradicated from most of the countries of the world, but still this disease has not been eradicated from many countries of the world.

More info about World Polio Day

What is Polio?

• Polio is a viral infectious disease, which is contagious in nature and in severe cases causes shortness of breath and irreversible paralysis.
• This disease is caused by wild polio virus.
• The virus is spread from person to person mainly through faeces or at a very low level through common mediums (such as contaminated food and water) and grows in the intestine.
• The disease mainly affects all children under the age of 5.
• If even one child is infected with polio, then all the children in the country are at risk of suffering from polio.
• Polio can only be prevented, as no treatment for polio is available.
• The prescribed dose of polio vaccine can protect the child from polio for life.
• Two types of vaccination protect against polio. The first is the oral vaccine, which is given orally as a medicine and the second is the inactivated poliovirus vaccine, which is administered to the arm or leg depending on the age of the patient.

Invention of Polio Vaccine:

Every year '24 October' is celebrated as 'World Polio Day', because in this month Jonas Sock was born. Jonas Sock was the head of the team that invented the first polio vaccine in 1955. Few drops of anti-polio medicine are given to children. This vaccine has proved to be very important in many countries to get rid of polio.

Symptoms of Polio:

The condition of the patient in polio disease depends on the intensity of the virus. In most cases, the symptoms of polio are similar to those of 'Flu', but some of its common symptoms are as follows-

1. Abdominal pain
2. Vomiting.
3. Throat pain.
4. Severe headache.
5. High fever.
6. Difficulty swallowing food.
7. In severe cases, the muscles of the heart become inflamed.
8. Pain or cramps in the arms or legs.
9. Neck and back cramps.

Prevention of Polio:

There is no treatment available for polio. This disease can only be prevented through vaccination. Polio vaccination can be given multiple times as per the prescribed schedule. It protects the child for life.

There are two types of vaccines that protect against polio – the inactivated polio virus vaccine (IPV) and the live-attenuated vaccine, the oral polio virus vaccine (OPV). The oral vaccine is given orally and the inactivated poliovirus vaccine is administered to the arm or leg depending on the age of the patient.

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