WHO Declares End of Polio Type-2 Outbreak in Indonesia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the end of Indonesia’s poliovirus type-2 (PV2) outbreak, marking a significant achievement in the country’s public health efforts. The declaration was made on November 19, 2025, after no poliovirus cases were detected in children or the environment since June 2024.

Timeline of the Outbreak

• October 2022: First case detected in Aceh.
• Subsequent Spread: Cases reported in Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, North Maluku, Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua.
• Last Case: Reported on June 27, 2024.

Vaccination Efforts to Contain Polio

• Indonesia accelerated polio immunisation by introducing a hexavalent vaccine, which protects against:
  • Polio
  • Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Pneumonia and meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenza type b
• Multiple rounds of vaccination campaigns using the novel OPV-2 (nOPV2) vaccine were conducted.
• Routine immunisation coverage improved, with children receiving the second dose of IPV increasing from 63% in 2023 to 73% in 2024.

About Polio

• Highly infectious disease, primarily affecting children under five.
• Can cause permanent paralysis (1 in 200 infections) or death (2–10% of paralyzed children).
• Transmitted mainly via the fecal-oral route or, less commonly, contaminated water or food.
• Vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a mutated form of the virus originally in the oral polio vaccine (OPV).