Lyla Lindsey
Australia has been polio-free for over 20 years, but the fight for global polio eradication continues. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease that can cause permanent paralysis. The introduction of vaccines in the 1960s helped Australia eradicate polio, with the last wild poliomyelitis case reported in 1972. However, maintaining herd immunity through vaccination is crucial to prevent the re-emergence of the disease, especially with ongoing circulation in Central Asia. Australia's commitment to global polio eradication initiatives and its own vaccination programs ensures continued protection against this once-frightening disease.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Polio-free status | Australia has been polio-free since 2000 |
| Last case of polio | 1972 |
| Need for vaccination | Yes, to prevent the spread of polio from countries where it is still present |
| Surveillance systems | In place to identify any importation of poliomyelitis cases |
| Laboratory containment | Crucial for certification as polio-free; national containment coordinator appointed |
| Global efforts | Australia has committed $113 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative since 2011 |
| Impact of polio | An estimated 40,000 Australians contracted paralytic polio, with many requiring treatment and experiencing long-lasting effects |
| Immunisation schedule | Polio vaccine is included in the Australian childhood immunisation schedule, with 95% of children vaccinated |
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What You'll Learn
Polio vaccination in Australia
Australia has been polio-free since 2000, but vaccination is still important to prevent the spread of the disease from countries where polio is still present. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause paralysis and death. It is transmitted through contact with the faeces and secretions of an infected person, or food contaminated with them. While most infected people show no symptoms, those who do can become seriously ill, suffer paralysis, and even die.
Polio vaccination is the only way to prevent the disease, and Australia's National Immunisation Program offers free polio vaccines for children aged 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 4 years. Eligible people under 20 years old and refugees or humanitarian entrants of any age can also receive free catch-up vaccinations if they did not receive the vaccine during childhood. The polio vaccine is not generally recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
The primary series of polio vaccinations in Australia is given from 6 to 8 weeks of age, with 3 doses administered at least 4 weeks apart. A booster dose at 4 years of age is the last scheduled vaccine dose. Following the routine childhood vaccines, a booster dose may be recommended every 10 years for travellers to polio-endemic countries, as well as for healthcare and laboratory workers who may come into contact with poliomyelitis cases.
The introduction of the polio vaccine in the 1950s has been instrumental in combating the disease in Australia. Before that, polio epidemics regularly terrorised communities, leaving thousands paralysed, mostly children. Even though polio has been eradicated in Australia, the country continues to support global polio eradication initiatives and maintains vaccine herd immunity to prevent the re-emergence of the disease.
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History of polio in Australia
Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause paralysis and even death. The poliovirus is contracted orally through infected faecal matter and is contagious during the incubation and acute phases. During the early 20th century, polio was among the most frightening diseases to affect Australians, with recurrent epidemics leaving thousands of people, mostly children, paralysed. The worst outbreak of polio in Australia occurred in 1937 in the small town of Railton in Tasmania.
During the 1930s, the most common treatment for polio was to immobilise affected limbs using casts, braces, callipers, and splints. In 1932, Australian nurse Sister Elizabeth Kenny began a new method of treatment using warm compresses and massage, in what is now considered the forerunner of modern physiotherapy. Those who were unable to breathe on their own were placed in large American-designed ventilators called 'iron lungs'.
In the 1950s, two Americans, Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, separately developed effective vaccines for polio. Dr Percival Bazeley, Director of the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) in Australia, worked with Salk in 1952 and returned to Melbourne in 1955 to begin mass production of the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). The first Salk vaccines were distributed across Australia from July 1956, with medical staff setting up thousands of temporary clinics in regional and remote areas.
Millions of doses of the polio vaccine were distributed to Australians during robust national public health campaigns. Routine immunisation over the following decades helped control the disease, and Australia was declared polio-free in 2000. It is estimated that 20,000-40,000 Australians contracted paralytic polio between 1930 and 1988. Today, Australia continues to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and maintains vaccine herd immunity to prevent the spread of polio.
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Polio survivors in Australia
Australia has been polio-free since 2000, when the World Health Organization declared the Western Pacific region, which includes Australia, polio-free. However, the country still has an estimated 400,000 polio survivors, many of whom continue to live with the long-term effects of the disease.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious disease that can cause permanent paralysis and even death. It is caused by the poliovirus, which is contracted orally through infected faecal matter and can spread rapidly through saliva. While most people with polio do not exhibit symptoms, for those who do, paralysis can be permanent, and even fatal if the patient's breathing muscles become immobilised.
In the past, polio epidemics regularly swept across Australia, leaving thousands paralysed, most of them children. The introduction of the Salk polio vaccine in the 1950s ended the polio epidemic in Australia, and the country has been polio-free since 2000. However, the battle against polio is not over, as cases of this highly contagious virus continue to circulate in Central Asia, and Australia must maintain vaccine herd immunity to prevent the disease from taking hold again.
For polio survivors, the disease can have lasting consequences, including a range of biomechanical and neurological symptoms known as the 'late effects' of polio. These can include permanent muscle weakness and paralysis, as well as a neurological condition called post-polio syndrome. Survivors may also face renewed effects later in life, requiring years of rehabilitation to restore movement to nerve-damaged limbs.
In the past, polio patients were often treated with respirators, including large, American-designed 'iron lungs', as well as Australian-designed portable respirators. Australian nurse Sister Elizabeth Kenny also developed a new method of treatment using warm compresses and massage, which is considered the forerunner of modern physiotherapy.
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Polio treatment and prevention
Australia has been polio-free since 2000, but vaccination is still important to prevent the spread of the disease from countries where polio is still present. Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause paralysis and death. It is caused by the poliovirus, which can be spread through saliva and faeces. Most people with polio do not experience any symptoms, but some may suffer from permanent paralysis or even death.
There is no cure for polio. If you have a mild form of the disease or no symptoms, you will likely recover without treatment. However, you may develop muscle weakness later in life, a condition known as post-polio syndrome. In severe cases of polio, patients may become paralysed, have lasting breathing problems, or die. In the past, those with breathing difficulties caused by polio were placed in ventilators called iron lungs.
The best way to prevent polio is to get vaccinated. Two types of vaccines are used to prevent the disease: the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). OPV is given by mouth and is very effective, although in rare cases it can cause an outbreak of polio. IPV is administered as an injection and is considered very safe. It is 99% effective when the full series of doses is received.
Vaccination has played a crucial role in eliminating polio in most parts of the world. Since the introduction of the first polio vaccine by Dr Jonas Salk in the 1950s, the number of cases has dropped significantly. In 2020, no cases of polio were reported in the United States. However, the disease still persists in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and as long as wild poliovirus remains in these countries, the risk remains for all countries.
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Global polio eradication
Australia has been polio-free since 2000, thanks to the success of polio immunisation. However, with cases of the highly contagious virus still circulating in Central Asia, the battle to reach every last child globally with the polio vaccine is more important than ever.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a serious, contagious disease that can result in permanent paralysis and death. It is caused by the poliovirus, which can be spread through saliva and faeces. Most people with polio do not have symptoms, but for those who do, paralysis can be permanent or even cause death when their breathing muscles become immobilised. There is no cure for polio; it can only be prevented through immunisation.
In the past, polio epidemics regularly terrified communities, leaving thousands of Australians paralysed, mostly children. It is estimated that 40,000 Australians contracted paralytic polio, with many more having a mild, undiagnosed case. Polio survivors recall frightening times spent in isolation, with long-lasting feelings of abandonment.
Australia has been a generous supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), committing $113 million since 2011. However, the program is now facing a major budget shortfall, and more support is needed to achieve polio eradication while also managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
To maintain polio-free status, Australia must continue to maintain vaccine herd immunity and support global eradication efforts, as the risk of polio remains while the disease still exists in the world.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Australia has been polio-free since 2000.
Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a contagious disease that can result in paralysis and death. It is caused by the poliovirus, which can be spread through saliva and faeces.
While Australia is polio-free, vaccination is still important to prevent the spread of polio from countries where it is still present.
Polio epidemics regularly terrified Australian communities, leaving thousands paralysed, mostly children. The introduction of vaccines in the 1960s helped Australia become polio-free. The last wild poliomyelitis case in Australia was in 1972.
