Immunity to Poliomyelitis in the Netherlands

Abstract

Despite a vaccination coverage rate of 97%, several poliomyelitis outbreaks occurred in the Netherlands during the last three decades, all among sociogeographically clustered, unvaccinated persons. Therefore, to eradicate polio, insight into poliomyelitis immunity is particularly useful. In 1995-1996, the authors conducted a population-based study and determined neutralizing antibodies against poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 in 9,274 sera from the general population and from religious groups rejecting vaccination. In the general population, the antibody prevalence (>/=1:8) was 96.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 95.9, 97.2), 93.4% (95% CI: 92.3, 94.5), and 89.7% (95% CI: 88.3, 91.0) for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Antibodies persisted for long periods in persons with natural immunity as well as in persons whose immunity was induced by inactivated polio vaccine. In Orthodox Reformed persons, the antibody prevalence of poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 was 65.0% (95% CI: 57.2, 72.9), 59.0% (95% CI: 40.1, 77.9), and 68.7% (95% CI: 65.2, 72.2), respectively. The recent outbreaks clearly affected the seroprevalence profiles of Orthodox Reformed groups but not the general population. At present, there is an insufficient social and political basis for mandatory vaccination; therefore, global eradication of poliovirus seems to be the only way to protect these Orthodox Reformed persons against future poliomyelitis outbreaks.

Seroprevalence of Antipolio Antibodies among Children <15 Years of Age in Border Provinces in China

“…The highest antibody seroprevalence and GMTs in each age group were for P2 and the lowest was for P3. These results are similar to those of other countries, such as Brazil (21), Germany (22), the United States (23), Italy (24)(25)(26)(27), Belgium (28), Greece (29), Netherlands (30), and South Africa (31). Nates and colleagues in Argentina found that humoral immunity to P3 declined significantly over time (32).…”

Isolation of Sabin-Like Polioviruses from Wastewater in a Country Using Inactivated Polio Vaccine

“…This success has been achieved by maintaining high vaccination coverage (17,41). Similar to other countries, Switzerland before 2001 used mainly OPV.…”

Immunity to Poliomyelitis: Situation in Northern Italy and in Some Other European Population Groups

“…The values for seropositivity found in the various European surveys are generally satisfactory, ranging from 65.0% [4] to 100% [5] for poliovirus type 1, from 59% [4] to 100% [4,6,7] for poliovirus type 2 and from 40.0% [5] to 99.8% [8] for poliovirus type 3.…”

“…Roebuck et al [12] in Britain in 1982 attributed the modest level of protection (39%) in a group born between 1963 and 1968 to the shift from the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) schedule to oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) which took place during that time, creating confusion over the number of doses necessary and a consequent lowering of the immunization rate. In Holland, Conyn-van Spaendonk et al [4] ascertained that in a population group with a low acceptance of the vaccine (around 30%) for religious reasons, the values of complete protection against polioviruses were very much lower compared with the rest of the national population. This situation serves to confirm the persisting risk of outbreaks of poliomyelitis if viruses are introduced, an event which occurred in 1978 and in 1992 in the group that refused the vaccination.…”