Polio Vaccines Set To Arrive In PNG Next Week, Says Health Minister
Papua New Guinea's health minister, Elias Kapavore, says polio vaccines are set to arrive in the country next week.
The World Health Organisation declared an outbreak of the disease in PNG last month.
The Post Courier reported that as of 6 June, 48 cases of acute flaccid paralysis - a condition characterized by rapid onset of muscle weakness or paralysis, but not a disease in itself - had been reported across 11 provinces. Of these, 20 tested negatives for poliovirus, and 28 remain under investigation.
Kapavore said the primary objective is to protect children from paralysis and prevent further virus transmission.
Kapavore said vaccines are scheduled to arrive between 16 and 20 June. The estimated cost for two rounds of the vaccination campaign is 88 million kina (US$21.4m).
So far, 74 million kina has been secured through the PNG and Australian governments and from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, as well as technical and logistical support from WHO and UNICEF, including the full cost of the nOPV2 vaccine supply.
During the recent World Health Assembly in Geneva, Kapavore presented PNG's national statement, reaffirming its commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and advocating for cross-border coordination, especially with Indonesia.
"The genetic link to the Indonesian strain [of polio] highlights the urgency of strengthening biosecurity capacity at the Papua New Guinea-Indonesia border," he said.
"We must scale up surveillance and immunisation at these points of entry through coordinated efforts by the Departments of Health, Agriculture, Defence, Immigrations and Border Security, to prevent future cross-border transmission of polio and other infectious diseases."
He called upon every MP to actively support vaccination and awareness efforts in their constituencies.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has raised concern about comebacks of vaccine-preventable disease in east Asia and the Pacific.
In the first months of 2025, countries like Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Vietnam have reported a sharp rise in measles cases compared with the same period last year.
UNICEF regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, June Kunugi, said measles and polio are highly infectious.
"And children are paying the price for gaps in coverage, delayed care, and misinformation. No child should suffer or die from a disease we know how to prevent."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
RFK Jr sacks US vaccine committee
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all 17 members of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts and is in the process of replacing them, his department said, drawing protest from many vaccine scientists. The move is the most far-reaching in a series of actions by Kennedy, a long-time vaccine sceptic, to reshape US regulation of vaccines, food and medicine. Scientists and experts said the changes to the vaccine panel, which recommends how vaccines are used and by whom, would undermine public confidence in health agencies. Kennedy promised the move would raise public confidence. "Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," Kennedy said in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has for years sown doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but he pledged to maintain the country's existing vaccine standards to secure his appointment in President Donald Trump's administration. The Food and Drug Administration, which is overseen by Kennedy's department, has approved a number of vaccines during his tenure despite concerns over his stances. Even so, at least one senior Republican member of Congress expressed doubts about the changes in the panel. Kennedy said the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is rife with conflicts and has never turned down a vaccine, even though the decision to approve vaccines rests with the US Food and Drug Administration. The CDC panel provides guidance to the CDC on which groups of people would most benefit from an already-approved vaccine. "That's a tragedy," said former FDA Chief Scientist Jesse Goodman. "This is a highly professional group of scientists and physicians and others... It's the kind of political meddling that will reduce confidence rather than increase confidence." The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America called Kennedy's action concerning for public health. "Upending the ACIP membership increases uncertainty and vaccine skepticism, undermining the health gains achieved through vaccination," the industry body said in a statement. Shares of vaccine makers Moderna and US-listed shares of BioNTech fell more than 1%, while Pfizer was down marginally in extended trading on Monday. Kennedy said most panel members received funding from drugmakers although members were required to declare any potential or perceived conflicts of interest that arise in the course of their tenure and any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with organisations relevant to the committee's work. Kennedy and HHS provided no specific evidence of industry conflicts of interest among departing ACIP members. The CDC's web page for conflicts of interest, last updated in March, showed that one current member had recused herself from votes on a handful of vaccines because she had worked on clinical trials for their manufacturers. BIDEN APPOINTEES All 17 ACIP members were appointed under former president Joe Biden's administration, including 13 in 2024, HHS said. Without their removal, Trump's administration would not have been able to choose a majority of the committee until 2028. "This is not a political committee, it's never been partisan," said Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco. "It's an expert committee. Presidents have never been involved in ACIP membership." The decision drew criticism from Democrats in Congress, and one key Republican expressed concern. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," said Republican US Senator Bill Cassidy in a post on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." Cassidy, a doctor from Louisiana who had expressed wariness about Kennedy's anti-vaccine views before clearing the path for him to become the nation's top health official, said at the time he had received assurances Kennedy would protect existing vaccination programmes. The CDC panel will convene its next meeting June 25-27 at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, the department said. Vetting new panel members typically takes months, said one expert with close ties to the committee, who expressed doubts the newly appointed panel would be able to meet on time unless Kennedy and his team "have been working in the shadows" to onboard them months ahead of the announcement. Kennedy has drawn condemnation from health officials for his vaccine policies, including what they say is a weak endorsement of the measles shots during an outbreak that has infected more than 1000 mostly unvaccinated people and killed three. He announced last month the government was dropping its recommendation that healthy children and pregnant women should receive Covid shots, sidestepping the typical process. Traditionally, once the FDA approves vaccines for sale to the public, ACIP's role is to review data in a public meeting and vote on vaccine recommendations, which are then sent to the CDC director to sign off. The Affordable Care Act generally requires insurers to cover vaccines that are listed on the CDC vaccine schedules for adults and children. The recommendations also determine which vaccines the CDC's Vaccines for Children program will provide free of charge to those without insurance.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Polio Vaccines Set To Arrive In PNG Next Week, Says Health Minister
Article – RNZ The World Health Organisation declared an outbreak of the disease in PNG last month. Papua New Guinea's health minister, Elias Kapavore, says polio vaccines are set to arrive in the country next week. The World Health Organisation declared an outbreak of the disease in PNG last month. The Post Courier reported that as of 6 June, 48 cases of acute flaccid paralysis – a condition characterized by rapid onset of muscle weakness or paralysis, but not a disease in itself – had been reported across 11 provinces. Of these, 20 tested negatives for poliovirus, and 28 remain under investigation. Kapavore said the primary objective is to protect children from paralysis and prevent further virus transmission. Kapavore said vaccines are scheduled to arrive between 16 and 20 June. The estimated cost for two rounds of the vaccination campaign is 88 million kina (US$21.4m). So far, 74 million kina has been secured through the PNG and Australian governments and from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, as well as technical and logistical support from WHO and UNICEF, including the full cost of the nOPV2 vaccine supply. During the recent World Health Assembly in Geneva, Kapavore presented PNG's national statement, reaffirming its commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and advocating for cross-border coordination, especially with Indonesia. 'The genetic link to the Indonesian strain [of polio] highlights the urgency of strengthening biosecurity capacity at the Papua New Guinea-Indonesia border,' he said. 'We must scale up surveillance and immunisation at these points of entry through coordinated efforts by the Departments of Health, Agriculture, Defence, Immigrations and Border Security, to prevent future cross-border transmission of polio and other infectious diseases.' He called upon every MP to actively support vaccination and awareness efforts in their constituencies. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has raised concern about comebacks of vaccine-preventable disease in east Asia and the Pacific. In the first months of 2025, countries like Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Vietnam have reported a sharp rise in measles cases compared with the same period last year. UNICEF regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, June Kunugi, said measles and polio are highly infectious. 'And children are paying the price for gaps in coverage, delayed care, and misinformation. No child should suffer or die from a disease we know how to prevent.'
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Immortality At A Price: How The Promise Of Delaying Death Has Become A Consumer Marketing Bonanza
Article – The Conversation Living forever has become the wellness and marketing trend of the 2020s. But cheating death – or at least delaying it – will come at a price. What was once the domain of scientists and the uber rich is increasingly becoming a consumer product. Those pushing the idea, spearheaded by tech billionaire Bryan Johnson's ' Don't Die ' movement, believe death isn't inevitable, but is a solvable problem. The global longevity market – spanning gene therapies, anti-ageing drugs, diagnostics and wellness plans – is projected to hit US$610 billion this year. At its core, the marketing of these products feeds off the age-old fear of mortality and the desire to stay young. But while the marketing is reaching the masses, this is still very much a luxury product. Immortality is being sold as exclusive, aspirational and symbolic. It's not just about living longer – it's about signalling status, controlling biology and being your 'best future self'. Tapping into long-held fears What's known as ' terror management theory ' puts forward the idea that humans and other animals have an instinctive drive for self-preservation. But humans are not only self-aware, they are also able to anticipate future outcomes – including the inevitability of death. The messaging behind the push to extend life taps into this internal tension between knowledge of our own mortality and the self-preservation instinct. And to be fair, it is not a new phenomenon. Cryonics – the preservation of bodies and brains at extremely low temperatures with the hope medical advancements will allow for their revival at some point in the future – was first popularised in Robert Ettinger's 1962 book The Prospect of Immortality. Since then, the super-rich have invested in various companies promising to preserve their bodies for some unknown future date. It now costs US$200,000 to freeze your body, or $80,000 for just your brain. What's truly new is how death is being marketed – not as fate, but as a flaw. Longevity isn't just about living longer; it's about turning mortality into a design problem, something to delay, manage and eventually solve. 'Biohacking' sells the idea that with the right data, tools and discipline, you can upgrade your biology – and become your best, most future-proof self. This pitch targets high-income consumers aged 30 to 60, people already fluent in the language of optimisation – a mindset focused on maximising performance, productivity and longevity through data. The brands behind the living forever movement sell control, optimisation and elite identity. Ageing becomes a personal failure. Anti-ageing is self-discipline. Consumers are cast as CEOs of their own health – tracking sleep, fixing their gut and taking supplements. From biohacks to consumer branding There are now more than 700 companies working in the longevity market. Startups such as Elysium Health and Human Longevity Inc. offer DNA testing, supplements and personalised health plans. These aren't medical treatments – they're sold as tools to age 'smarter' or 'slower' and are pitched with the language of control over what once might have seemed uncontrollable. Don't Die's Bryan Johnson spends over US$2 million annually on his personal anti-ageing experiment. But the real pitch is to consumers: buy back time, one premium subscription at a time. Johnson's company Blueprint offers diagnostics, supplements and exercise routines bundled into monthly plans starting at $333 and climbing to over $1,600. Longevity products promise more than health. They promise time, control and even immortality. But the quest to live forever, or at least a lot longer, raises moral and ethical questions about who benefits, and what kind of world is being created. Without thoughtful oversight, these technologies risk becoming tools of exclusion, not progress. Because if time becomes a product, not everyone will get to check out at the same counter.
