WHO Confirms Additional Polio Cases In Syria

“The [WHO] said on Tuesday that additional polio cases had been confirmed in two new areas of Syria, including near Damascus and in the northern city of Aleppo near Turkey,” Reuters reports. “‘In addition to 15 polio cases in Deir al-Zor province, Syria, two additional cases have been confirmed, one each in rural Damascus and Aleppo,’ the organization said,” according to the news agency (Holmes, 11/26). Earlier this month, “the virus [had] been confirmed in 13 of 22 children who became paralyzed in the northern province of Deir al-Zor,” Reuters notes in a separate article (Holmes, 11/25). “A comprehensive outbreak response continues to be implemented across the region,” according to a WHO press release, which notes, “Seven countries and territories are holding mass polio vaccination campaigns targeting 22 million children under the age of five years” (11/26).

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