Cuba Launches Vaccination Campaign against Polio

Havana, Mar 2. – More than 500,000 Cuban children will be vaccinated during the 51st National Antipolio Vaccine Campaign that will begin on Friday throughout the country, the Ministry of Public Health stated. About 390,000 children under three year of age will receive two doses of the vaccine, while 134,217 nine-year-old children will be reactivated with the vaccine.

The objective of the campaign is to protect Cubans from polio.

Cuba launched the first antipolio campaign in 1962, and over 80 million doses have been administrated since then, so a large part of the Cuban population is currently protected against the disease, which was a serious health threat before the triumph of the Revolution.

The strategy used by the government and health authorities, supported by grass-root organizations, made it possible to gradually eradicate polio completely.(Prensa Latina)