Global Polio Eradication Initiative Outbreak Response Guidelines

These materials from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are meant to be of help for the preparation of a response to an outbreak of wild polio. They can also be used as guidance for the development of materials adapted to specific countries or situations.

The materials consist of:

1. A polio outbreak guideline with basic rules and recommendations on how to respond to an outbreak in terms of a vaccination campaign and surveillance. It is based on experiences from many countries.
2. Training guidelines for vaccinators, first-line supervisors, and monitors.
3. An Excel workbook with basic forms - e.g., tally sheets, check lists, and household assessment and missed children forms - to be used in trainings and included in the outbreak response guideline (if it is locally reprinted).
4. Fact and Question and Answers (Q&A) sheets on the advantages of the use of monovalent oral polio vaccine (OPV) - these can be shared with health staff and media.
5. Two sheets (sub-district and regional) with practical hints for monovalent oral polio vaccine (mOPV) storage and handling.
6. A PowerPoint presentation - featuring practical information - on the rationale, advantages, and experience of using mOPV1. (Because the experience in the use of monovalent OPV is expanding quickly, an updated presentation can be requested from the polio unit, World Health Organization (WHO) Geneva.)
7. Technical sheets on supplementary immunisation activity (SIA) and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance with standard operating procedure (SOP) on topics such as finger and house marking, cold chain, monitoring, and case investigation. These sheets are meant for easy reference and training.

A CD including the above-listed materials can be ordered from: rosenbauero@who.int (Please note that the technical sheets mentioned in point #7 above are not included and that the mOPV presentation in the CD (see point #6) is not updated in the CD).