NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAYS - STATE-OF-THE-ART

National immunization days (NIDs) are nationwide mass campaigns to del iver supplemental doses of oral poliovirus vaccine to interrupt the ci rculation of wild polioviruses. They constitute one of the critical st rategies for global poliomyelitis eradication and should be implemente d in all countries with widespread poliovirus transmission. The certif ication of wild poliovirus eradication from the Western Hemisphere in September 1994 verified the effectiveness of this aspect of the World Health Organization's (WHO) overall strategy for polio eradication by the year 2000. NIDs require careful advanced planning and orchestratio n by each country. WHO provides specific guidelines for NIDs regarding the season, target age group, duration, frequency, inclusion of other interventions, vaccine delivery strategies, and evaluation. With stro ng routine immunization programs and the effective implementation of N IDs, ''mop-up'' campaigns, and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance, t he goal of global polio eradication will be achieved.