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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2007;298(19):2254.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

An outbreak of poliomyelitis in northern Nigeria that began in 2006 and resulted in 69 confirmed cases of paralysis was caused by a mutated strain of the live polio vaccine, according to a new report (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007;56[38]:996-1001).

Vaccine-related polio, which occurs when live weakened poliovirus used in the vaccine strain mutates, is rare; however, low vaccination rates in a region make it possible for the virus to spread through the population. In Nigeria, the outbreak followed a nearly year-long period beginning in 2003 when immunization efforts were suspended due to rumors that the vaccine caused sterility or AIDS. In 2005, 15% to 50% of children younger than 5 years in 7 of 9 northern states had not received a single dose of the vaccine; immunization campaigns helped improve coverage, although 5% to 30% of children in the north remained unvaccinated by . . . [Full Text of this Article]