SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health ( MOH) on Friday ( Feb 7 ) confirmed one imported case of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis in Singapore, adding that its findings so far indicate a low risk of community transmission.  ,
The client is a five-month-old women Indian infant who arrived on Jan 26 for health care.
The case, according to MOH, has an immunocompromised history and has previously received two doses of inactivated polio vaccine ( IPV ) and oral polio vaccine ( OPV ) in Indonesia.  ,
She had developed disease, chronic floppiness and numbness of the lower legs in December 2024 while in Indonesia. Poliomyelitis was never suspected by her physician then, said the government.  ,
On January 26, she was medically evacuated for treatment of her symptoms and was then flown to the National University Hospital ( NUH) upon arrival in Singapore. The baby is already in stable condition.
” Our studies so far indicate reduced chance of community transmission. When arriving in Singapore, the circumstance was immediately conveyed to NUH, where it was later isolated. When suspected of having poliomyelitis illness, she was likewise subject to the correct infection prevention and control measures, according to MOH.
” Now three near connections, who are home people or caretakers of the case, have been quarantined as a cautionary measure”.
Poliomyelitis is brought on by the poliovirus and is primarily transmitted through food that has intestinal materials infected.  ,
Vaccination is the most powerful defense against poliomyelitis, alongside maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene, said the health department.  ,
There are two vaccines for smallpox – OPV, which contains live attenuated or diminished poliovirus, and IPV, which does not have any life poliovirus.  ,
Singapore stopped using OPV in 2021, according to MOH, and many other nations have gradually switched to IPV.  ,
An extremely uncommon undesirable event that results from vaccine-associated anesthetic poliomyelitis occurs when an individual develops paralytic polio after receiving OPV. The danger is higher for those who have immunocompromised, for whom IPV is suggested rather than OPV.
Singapore has not yet reported any instances of smallpox that have been directly acquired since 1978. The last influenza situation reported in 2006 was an imported circumstance, added the government.
Singapore has maintained its status as a “polio-free nation” by maintaining high levels of environmental hygiene and sanitation, higher levels of polio vaccination coverage, and a robust security system to identify potential poliomyelitis situations.
Under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS), toddlers receive a total of five vaccine doses – three IPV doses for babies at two decades, four times, and six times, with another two booster doses of IPV at 18 weeks and 10 to 11 years old both.  ,
” As the IPV does not have live influenza, it carries no risk of vaccine-associated anesthetic poliomyelitis. All Taiwanese kids are free to receive vaccinations under the NCIS at Community Health Assist Scheme General Practitioner facilities and polyclinics, according to the government.  ,