Conclusions and recommendations of the Polio Research Committee
The Polio Research Committee (PRC) provides guidance on overall strategic direction in research, identifies unmet research needs, and assists in identifying investigators and designing studies to answer unanswered research questions. The 4th meeting of the PRC was convened in Geneva, Switzerland in November 2009, to provide the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) with expert advice on:
- reasons for ongoing wild poliovirus circulation in India (specifically is vaccine efficacy a continuing problem)
- innovative ways to improve immunization coverage in Nigeria (how to address failure to vaccinate)
- ways to accelerate the development of a “safer and more affordable” IPV.
In conclusion, the PRC recommended that the GPEI focus its research especially on:
- research to understand both epidemiology and potential intervention to boost mucosal immunity to address low vaccine efficacy in northern India
- operational research to improve vaccine coverage and immunity (both in polio-endemic and re-infected countries).
Detailed description of research priorities
Research area 1: understanding mucosal immunity in India Research area 2: operational research to improve vaccination coverage and immunity