Page 5 - Apr 27

Members' Communications

Anniversaries

Andrew & Julianne LEHMANN (2 /5 )

Rotary Information

Novel oral polio vaccine type 2 by India's Biological E achieves WHO prequalification

12 February 2026 - The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) welcomes the
World Health Organization (WHO)'s decision to grant prequalification (PQ) status to the
novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) by India's Biological E. Limited (BE). Since
March 2024, BE has added 700 million doses of nOPV2 into the global stockpile.
With this new PQ, BE becomes the second full manufacturer of nOPV2, joining PTB
in Indonesia. Together, the two manufacturers provide diversified, stable global
production capacity for this critical tool to stop outbreaks of type 2 variant poliovirus
for good.

With the new WHO recommendation, BE is expected to produce 600 million doses per
year, strengthening global outbreak response capacity and ensuring countries can
access nOPV2 rapidly when needed.

"Expanding nOPV2 manufacturing is essential to ensuring countries can respond
quickly to variant poliovirus outbreaks," said Mike McGovern, Chair of the
International PolioPlus Committee, Rotary International and Chair of the Polio
Oversight Board, GPEI. "Biological E's prequalification status strengthens the global
supply and brings us closer to ending these outbreaks for good."

More than 2 billion doses of nOPV2 have already been administered worldwide since
they were first introduced in 2021. After years of large-scale use, evidence shows that
nOPV2 is effective in stopping variant poliovirus outbreaks. Estimated risk of new
variant polio outbreaks is nearly 80% lower than what would be expected if
monovalent oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 was used at the same scale. This improved
stability makes nOPV2 a critical asset in the global effort to eliminate variant
polioviruses, complementing rapid, high-quality immunization campaigns and strong
disease surveillance systems.

World Immunisation Week 24-30 April 2026

World Immunization Week is quickly approaching and Rotary and our partners
commemorate World Immunization Week, 24-30 April every year, to raise awareness of the
importance of vaccination and highlight the success of our polio eradication efforts.

The progress that Rotary and our partners have made toward eradicating polio is a success
story that is important to tell, especially during this final effort to reach our goal. Our
members are our greatest advocates and supporters, and we need your help more than ever to
share our story with your communities.