WHO prequalifies new polio vaccine to boost global outbreak response

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a health center in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)

BENGALURU -- The World Health Organization said on Friday it had prequalified another novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), a step it said would speed efforts to eradicate the disease.

Prequalification certifies that the vaccine meets international standards for quality and safety, allowing UN agencies such as UNICEF to buy and distribute it for immunization campaigns.

The nOPV2 shot is designed to be more genetically stable than older oral polio vaccines, lowering the risk of triggering new outbreaks while helping to stop transmission, the WHO said.

The move follows a pledge by global leaders in December to provide US$1.9 billion to support eradication efforts, aiming to protect 370 million children each year despite recent budget cuts.

Polio, a disabling and potentially life-threatening disease, has been wiped out in many regions but continues to circulate.

Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru. Editing by Mark Potter, Reuters