Immunogenicity of oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV) against variants of wild poliovirus type 3.

Serological investigations of three groups of children from the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and from Czechoslovakia who had different immunization histories against poliomyelitis indicated that the immunity induced by oral poliovaccine (OPV) is effective against both the wild poliovirus Saukett strain and a new wild variant of poliovirus type 3 that was isolated during an outbreak of poliomyelitis in Finland in 1984. There is therefore no obvious risk that individuals in the GDR or Czechoslovakia, most of whom have been immunized with OPV, are threatened by new wild poliovirus variants. These findings are of importance, especially in connection with WHO's initiative for the global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000.