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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan 06 2016 – Infants in St. Kitts and Nevis now receive the first dose of the polio vaccine in the injectable form, in the health centres in the Federation.
The Community Based Health Services of the Ministry of Health said in a press release that effective December 15, 2015, infants two months of age are being given this form of the polio vaccine.
The additional four doses will be given via drops or orally as is customarily done.
“Thereafter, oral vaccine will be administered at four months and six months followed by two boosters to complete the recommended schedule,” the press release said.
It was revealed that this course of action was based on a May 2012 recommendation of the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) which declared poliovirus eradication to be a global public health emergency.
