2019–2021 polio outbreak in the Philippines

{{Infobox outbreak

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| caption = Map of provinces (including Metro Manila) with confirmed cases

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| disease = Polio

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Circulating vaccine–derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1)
Circulating vaccine–derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2){{cite web |title=Situation Report 12: Polio Outbreak |url=https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/countries/philippines/emergencies/polio/unicef-who-phl-sitrep-12-polio-outbreak-20dec2019.pdf?sfvrsn=dd2a7ab5_2 |access-date=11 June 2021 |date=20 September 2020}}

| location = Philippines

| first_reported =

| index_case = Marogong, Lanao del Sur

| date = September 19, 2019 – June 11, 2021

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| confirmed_cases = 17{{cite news |title='Major win': WHO, UNICEF declare end of polio outbreak in Philippines |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/11/21/polio-outbreak-in-philippines-ends-who |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=11 June 2021 |language=en}}

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| deaths = 0

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| vaccinations = 4,750,000+
{{small|(2019 – August 2020)}}{{cite news |title=DOH: 95% of polio vaccination target reached |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113837 |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=Philippine News Agency |date=30 August 2020 |language=en}}

}}

The 2019–2021 polio outbreak in the Philippines was an epidemic. For the previous 19 years, the Philippines was free of any polio-related diseases. On September 14, 2019, the disease began to resurface through a positive test result done to a 3-year-old girl from Mindanao. After the confirmation of a second case from tests done on a 5-year-old boy, the government of the Philippines publicly declared a polio outbreak on September 19, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/csr/don/24-september-2019-polio-outbreak-the-philippines/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929194049/https://www.who.int/csr/don/24-september-2019-polio-outbreak-the-philippines/en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 29, 2019|title=WHO {{!}} Polio outbreak– The Philippines|website=WHO|access-date=November 18, 2019}} On June 11, 2021, the WHO announced that the outbreak has ended.{{Cite web|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/6/11/Philippine-polio-outbreak-ends.html|title=WHO declares end of polio outbreak in PH|access-date=June 11, 2021|archive-date=June 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611063526/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/6/11/Philippine-polio-outbreak-ends.html|url-status=dead}}

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines eradicated polio in 2000.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/world/asia/philippines-polio-outbreak-.html|title=Philippines Declares Polio Outbreak After 19 Years Free of the Disease|last=Gutierrez|first=Jason|date=September 19, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 18, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

Epidemiology

On September 19, 2019, a polio outbreak was reported in the Philippines. After two polio cases were reported, the authorities inspected several places including Metro Manila and Davao City. Samples taken from several places across Manila were confirmed to contain "vaccine-derived polio virus" type 2 (VDPV2), similar to the pathogen found on the first two confirmed cases. The government decided to vaccinate all the children regardless of whether they have been affected by polio or not. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have worked with the government of the Philippines in a massive polio vaccination campaign; other NGOs like the Red Cross are also collaborating in the campaign as well.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-10-21/massive-vaccine-campaign-underway-philippines-after-polios-return|title=Massive vaccine campaign underway in the Philippines after polio's return|website=Public Radio International|date=October 18, 2019 |language=en|access-date=November 19, 2019}}

Four cases have been confirmed as of November 5, 2019: the first was a three-year-old girl in Lanao del Sur with the other cases reported in Laguna, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat.{{cite news |last1=Crisostomo |first1=Sheila |title=DOH confirms Philippine's 4th polio case |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/07/1966705/doh-confirms-philippines-4th-polio-case |access-date=20 November 2019 |work=The Philippine Star |date=6 November 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Arguilas |first1=Carolyn |title=2 of 3 confirmed polio cases are from BARMM; 3rd is from Datu Piang |url=https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2019/10/2-of-3-confirmed-polio-cases-are-from-barmm-3rd-is-from-datu-piang/ |access-date=20 November 2019 |work=MindaNews |date=29 October 2019}} It is believed that the public's distrust in the country's poor healthcare system is a cause of the polio outbreak.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/red-cross-alarm-polio-outbreak-philippines-19-years-191002055300864.html|title=Red Cross alarm over polio outbreak in Philippines after 19 years|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-11-21}}

This is not the first disease outbreak in the Philippines in 2019. In February 2019, a measles outbreak occurred as a result of public distrust in the Philippines' poor healthcare system.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/philippines-vaccine-scare-blamed-deadly-measles-outbreak-190213003609208.html|title=Philippines: Vaccine scare blamed for deadly measles outbreak|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-11-21}} As of January 2019, the Philippines has been combating a dengue outbreak, the worst dengue outbreak that the Philippines has experienced since 2012. Like the measles outbreak, the dengue outbreak was also caused by public distrust of the dengue vaccination campaign in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/philippines-worst-dengue-outbreak-years-kills-thousand-190917020550489.html|title=Philippines: Worst dengue outbreak in years kills over a thousand|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-11-21}}

The World Health Organization and UNICEF Philippines, declared the official end of the polio outbreak on June 11, 2021, after the virus has not been detected in the past 16 months.{{cite news |title=Polio outbreak ends in Philippines |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1897393/Manila/Local-News/Polio-outbreak-ends-in-Philippines |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=Sun Star |date=11 June 2021}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible sort-under" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center"
+ style="font-size:11pt;" \|{{nowrap\|Summary of polio cases}} ! scope="col" \| Case no. ! scope="col" \| Date ! scope="col" \| Age ! scope="col" \| Gender ! scope="col" class="unsortable"\| Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable"\| {{abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
scope="row" \| 1 \| {{nowrap\|September 19}} \| 3 \| Female \| Index case involving a girl from Marogong, Lanao del Sur \|{{cite news \|last1=Hunt \|first1=Katie \|title=Polio makes a comeback in the Philippines 19 years after the country was declared free of the disease \|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/19/health/philippines-polio-outbreak-intl/index.html \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|work=CNN \|date=19 September 2019}}{{cite web \|title=DOH reports 3rd confirmed case of polio in Maguindanao \|url=https://doh.gov.ph/press-release/DOH-reports-3rd-confirmed-case-of-polio-in-maguindanao \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|archive-date=June 11, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130021/https://doh.gov.ph/press-release/DOH-reports-3rd-confirmed-case-of-polio-in-maguindanao \|url-status=dead }}
scope="row" \| 2 \| {{nowrap\|September 20}} \| 5 \| Male \| From Laguna; immunocompromised \| {{cite news \|title=DOH confirms 2nd case of polio in the Philippines \|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/doh-confirms-2nd-polio-case-philippines \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|work=Rappler \|date=20 September 2021 \|language=en}}
scope="row" \| 3 \| {{nowrap\|October 28}} \| 4 \| Female \| From Datu Piang, Maguindanao \|
scope="row" \| 4 \| {{nowrap\|November 5}} \| ? \| ? \| From an unspecified location in Mindanao \| {{cite news \|title=DOH confirms 4th case of polio in the Philippines \|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/doh-confirms-4th-case-polio-november-5-2019 \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|work=Rappler \|date=5 November 2019}}{{cite web \|title=DOH confirms three more cases of polio \|url=https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/DOH%20CONFIRMS%20THREE%20MORE%20CASES%20OF%20POLIO \|publisher=Department of Health \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|date=20 November 2019 \|archive-date=June 11, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130026/https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/DOH%20CONFIRMS%20THREE%20MORE%20CASES%20OF%20POLIO \|url-status=dead }}
scope="row" \| 5 \| {{nowrap\|November 20}} \| 2 \| Female \| From Maguindanao \|
scope="row" \| 6 \| {{nowrap\|November 20}} \| 1 \| Male \| From Cotabato City \|
scope="row" \| 7 \| {{nowrap\|November 20}} \| 4 \| Female \| From Cotabato \|
scope="row" \| 8 \| {{nowrap\|November 25}} \| 9 \| Female \| From Basilan \| {{cite news \|title=DOH confirms 8th polio case in the country \|url=https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/doh-confirms-8th-polio-case-in-the-country \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|work=Department of Health \|date=25 November 2019 \|archive-date=June 11, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130010/https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/doh-confirms-8th-polio-case-in-the-country \|url-status=dead }}
scope="row" \| 9–12 \| colspan=4\|No data \|
scope="row" \| 13 \| {{nowrap\|January 16, 2020}} \| 2 \| Male \| From Maguindanao \|{{cite web \|title=DOH confirms new polio cases in the country \|url=https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-NEW-POLIO-CASES-IN-THE-COUNTRY \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|publisher=Department of Health \|date=16 January 2020 \|archive-date=June 11, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130010/https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-NEW-POLIO-CASES-IN-THE-COUNTRY \|url-status=dead }}
scope="row" \| 14 \| {{nowrap\|January 16, 2020}} \| 3 \| Male \| From Maguindanao \|
scope="row" \| 15 \| {{nowrap\|January 16, 2020}} \| 2 \| Male \| From Sultan Kudarat \|
scope="row" \| 16 \| {{nowrap\|January 16, 2020}} \| 3 \| Male \| From Quezon City \|
scope="row" \| 17 \| {{nowrap\|February 15, 2020}} \| 1 \| Male \|From Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija \|{{cite web \|title=DOH confirms 17th polio case in the country \|url=https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-17TH-POLIO-CASE-IN-THE-COUNTRY \|publisher=Department of Health \|access-date=11 June 2021 \|date=15 February 2020 \|archive-date=June 11, 2021 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611125916/https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-17TH-POLIO-CASE-IN-THE-COUNTRY \|url-status=dead }}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible sort-under" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center"

+ style="font-size:11pt;" |{{nowrap|Summary of polio cases}}

! scope="col" | Case
no.

! scope="col" | Date

! scope="col" | Age

! scope="col" | Gender

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

scope="row" | 1

| {{nowrap|September 19}}

| 3

| Female

| Index case involving a girl from Marogong, Lanao del Sur

|{{cite news |last1=Hunt |first1=Katie |title=Polio makes a comeback in the Philippines 19 years after the country was declared free of the disease |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/19/health/philippines-polio-outbreak-intl/index.html |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=CNN |date=19 September 2019}}{{cite web |title=DOH reports 3rd confirmed case of polio in Maguindanao |url=https://doh.gov.ph/press-release/DOH-reports-3rd-confirmed-case-of-polio-in-maguindanao |access-date=11 June 2021 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130021/https://doh.gov.ph/press-release/DOH-reports-3rd-confirmed-case-of-polio-in-maguindanao |url-status=dead }}

scope="row" | 2

| {{nowrap|September 20}}

| 5

| Male

| From Laguna; immunocompromised

| {{cite news |title=DOH confirms 2nd case of polio in the Philippines |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/doh-confirms-2nd-polio-case-philippines |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=Rappler |date=20 September 2021 |language=en}}

scope="row" | 3

| {{nowrap|October 28}}

| 4

| Female

| From Datu Piang, Maguindanao

scope="row" | 4

| {{nowrap|November 5}}

| ?

| From an unspecified location in Mindanao

| {{cite news |title=DOH confirms 4th case of polio in the Philippines |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/doh-confirms-4th-case-polio-november-5-2019 |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=Rappler |date=5 November 2019}}{{cite web |title=DOH confirms three more cases of polio |url=https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/DOH%20CONFIRMS%20THREE%20MORE%20CASES%20OF%20POLIO |publisher=Department of Health |access-date=11 June 2021 |date=20 November 2019 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130026/https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/DOH%20CONFIRMS%20THREE%20MORE%20CASES%20OF%20POLIO |url-status=dead }}

scope="row" | 5

| {{nowrap|November 20}}

| 2

| Female

| From Maguindanao

scope="row" | 6

| {{nowrap|November 20}}

| 1

| Male

| From Cotabato City

scope="row" | 7

| {{nowrap|November 20}}

| 4

| Female

| From Cotabato

scope="row" | 8

| {{nowrap|November 25}}

| 9

| Female

| From Basilan

| {{cite news |title=DOH confirms 8th polio case in the country |url=https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/doh-confirms-8th-polio-case-in-the-country |access-date=11 June 2021 |work=Department of Health |date=25 November 2019 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130010/https://doh.gov.ph/doh-press-release/doh-confirms-8th-polio-case-in-the-country |url-status=dead }}

scope="row" | 9–12

| colspan=4|No data

scope="row" | 13

| {{nowrap|January 16, 2020}}

| 2

| Male

| From Maguindanao

|{{cite web |title=DOH confirms new polio cases in the country |url=https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-NEW-POLIO-CASES-IN-THE-COUNTRY |access-date=11 June 2021 |publisher=Department of Health |date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611130010/https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-NEW-POLIO-CASES-IN-THE-COUNTRY |url-status=dead }}

scope="row" | 14

| {{nowrap|January 16, 2020}}

| 3

| Male

| From Maguindanao

scope="row" | 15

| {{nowrap|January 16, 2020}}

| 2

| Male

| From Sultan Kudarat

scope="row" | 16

| {{nowrap|January 16, 2020}}

| 3

| Male

| From Quezon City

scope="row" | 17

| {{nowrap|February 15, 2020}}

| 1

| Male

|From Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija

|{{cite web |title=DOH confirms 17th polio case in the country |url=https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-17TH-POLIO-CASE-IN-THE-COUNTRY |publisher=Department of Health |access-date=11 June 2021 |date=15 February 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611125916/https://doh.gov.ph/DOH-CONFIRMS-17TH-POLIO-CASE-IN-THE-COUNTRY |url-status=dead }}

Response

= Domestic =

During this epidemic, WHO, UNICEF and other private medical communities collaborated to help the Philippines Department of Health in conducting enormous vaccination runs throughout Metro Manila, Davao City, Marawi, and other major cities in the country.{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/who-and-unicef-back-department-health-vaccinating-18-million-children-against-polio|title=WHO and UNICEF back the Department of Health in vaccinating 1.8 million children against polio|website=www.unicef.org|language=en|access-date=November 18, 2019}} The campaign sought to end the rise of the deadly virus. According to the Philippine Red Cross, the duration of the mass vaccination run happened between October 14 and 27, 2019; the number of children they aimed to have vaccinated is 65,000 children.

As of October 2, 2019, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has pledged US$336,700 from it relief funds in efforts to eradicate polio from the Philippines.

= International =

The outbreak not only poses a risk to the citizens of the Philippines but also raises concerns among neighboring countries regarding the spread of the disease. The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Philippines has issued an advisory with the objective of containing the transmission of polio..{{Cite web|url=https://kemlu.go.id/manila/en|title=Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Manila, Accredited to the Republic of Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau the Republic of the Philippines|website=Kementerian Luar Negeri Repulik Indonesia|language=id|access-date=November 19, 2019}}

References

Category:2019 disease outbreaks

Category:2020 disease outbreaks

Category:2021 disease outbreaks

Category:2019 disasters in the Philippines

Category:2020 disasters in the Philippines

Category:2021 disasters in the Philippines

Category:Polio outbreaks

Category:Infectious diseases with eradication efforts

Category:Disease outbreaks in the Philippines