Paul Alexander, a 78-year-old man from Texas, USA, who spent most of his life in an iron lung, died on 11 March. Alexander contracted polio in 1952, when he was just 6 years old. The disease paralyzed him from the neck down so he couldn’t breathe on his own. He earned a law degree, passed the bar exam, and practiced law in Dallas for a time. He was also briefly a member of a Rotary eClub. Click Here to read a story we reported in 2015.
Breaking News! 2 new cases of wild poliovirus-caused paralysis in Pakistan were confirmed this week-- onset of paralysis was in 2023—will these ultimately be added to the 2023 numbers or the 2024 numbers?
Wild Poliovirus Cases reported this week: Two (dates of onset in 2023?)
Most recent wild poliovirus cases: Afghanistan: 09/04/23 Pakistan: ??/??/??
Human cases confirmed | As of 3/12/24 | Total | Total | Total | Total |
2024 | 2023* | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
WPV (Wild Poliovirus) | 2 (1 at same time in 2023) | 12 | 30 | 6 | 140 |
WPV--Afghanistan | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 56 |
WPV-Pakistan | 0 | 6 | 20 | 1 | 84 |
WPV- Other countries | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
Variant (circulating vaccine derived -cVDPV polioviruses | 8 (10 at same time in 2023) | 522 | 878 | 699 | 1117 |
*Some cases with onset of paralysis in 2023 still likely to be confirmed and reported.
Polioviruses reported from other sources (environmental) this week, and in brackets{} are the total reported from 2023.
Wild poliovirus= 21 {187} cVDPV (variant) Types 1,2,3= 21; {409}
This week, reports of 12 new variant poliovirus caused polio paralysis –4 from 2024 in 4 countries (1 cases each in Guinea, Mali, Somalia, and Yemen) and 8 cases added to 2023 totals –all in Yemen
PROMOTE THE POWER OF VACCINES FOR WORLD IMMUNIZATION WEEK THIS APRIL 24-30: With decades of experience in polio eradication, Rotary members play a key role in publicizing the power of vaccines. In part, because Rotary members and partners have worked so hard to counteract vaccine hesitancy and reach all children with the polio vaccine, we’ve immunized billions of children against the disease. This is an additional opportunity for promoting polio vaccines and donations to End Polio. After all, the success of the polio vaccine is proof that vaccines do work (as do several other vaccines, by the way!) Campaign materials are available now at www.endpolio.org
Join the District 5450 PolioPlus Society to help support Polio Eradication. To increase sustainable giving, the PolioPlus Society (PPS) was formed to encourage Rotarians to commit to a minimum of $100 per year to the PolioPlus Fund until polio is eradicated from the face of the earth. Society members receive a special PPS pin, an End Polio Now bracelet, and a certificate. Contact Marny Eulberg, District PolioPlus Chair, at marnyeul@me.com for the application.