WHO and UNICEF to Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign in Afghanistan with PharmaJet® Tropis® ID Delivery System
This is the first large-scale implementation of intradermal (ID) polio immunization in Afghanistan.
PharmaJet's award builds on the successful implementation of Tropis for ID delivery in polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Somalia.
The use of Tropis ID in polio vaccination campaigns has improved vaccine coverage, decreased immunization program costs, and increased acceptability.
GOLDEN, Colo., August 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PharmaJet®, a company that strives to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with its enabling needle-free injection technology, today announced that the WHO prequalified Tropis ID delivery system will be used to support a polio eradication campaign sponsored by the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) Afghanistan, UNICEF, WHO, and other GPEI partners starting in August 2025. Focused on the Eastern region of Afghanistan, the campaign will deploy Tropis ID to administer 1.3 million fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to children ages 5 and under in parallel to oral polio vaccine (OPV) administration as part of a WHO-recommended strategy to boost humoral and mucosal immunity.
Poliovirus has been eliminated in most parts of the world due to widespread vaccination campaigns, but it continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission rose significantly in Afghanistan. The use of Tropis ID enables site-to-site immunization, a strategy where vaccination services are offered at multiple, convenient locations. This approach is expected to help increase immunization coverage, particularly in high-risk areas. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication endorsed the Afghanistan program's "Strategic Reset" to optimize site-to-site vaccination, while stressing the need for stronger leadership, community acceptance, and broad government engagement. Including Tropis ID fIPV in this immunization program supports Afghanistan's polio eradication goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages in the East, prevent new WPV1 cases in the East and South Regions, and prevent local transmission in other parts of the country.1
"We are pleased to be partnering with UNICEF, WHO, and NEOC Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio," said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President Global Business Development, PharmaJet. "We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and high acceptability2 previously seen with Tropis ID delivered fIPV in Pakistan,2 Somalia,3 and Nigeria4."
Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks.
About PharmaJet
The PharmaJet mission is to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with our enabling technology that better activates the immune system. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet Precision Delivery Systems™ can improve vaccine effectiveness, allow for a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and offer a proven path to commercialization. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. The Stratis® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark, and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. They are both commercially available for global immunization programs. For more information or if you are interested in partnering with PharmaJet visit https://pharmajet.com or contact PharmaJet here. Follow us on LinkedIn.
About the NEOC Afghanistan
NEOC Afghanistan is led by the Ministry of Public Health and the core members are WHO, UNICEF, BMGF, CDC, Rotary International, Core Group of Polio Project (CGPP), EPI manager and the National Polio Focal Point.
About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)5
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments with six partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide.
Launched in 1988 after the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with its partners, has helped countries to make huge progress in protecting the global population from this debilitating disease. As a result, the global incidence of polio has decreased by 99.9% since GPEI's foundation. An estimated 20 million people today are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease, and more than 1.5 million people are alive, whose lives would otherwise have been lost. Now the task remains to tackle polio in its last few strongholds and get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases including the two remaining endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan.
1 World Health Organization, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Technical Advisory Group urges strong action to eradicate polio in Afghanistan, February 26, 20252 Daly, C et al, Needle-free injectors for mass administration of fractional dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) in Karachi, Pakistan: A survey of caregiver and vaccinator acceptability, Vaccine, Volume 38 Issue 8, 18 February, 2020, Pages 1893-18983 Nouh, K et al, Use of a fractional dose of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to increase IPV coverage among children under 5 years of age in Somalia, Springer Nature Volume 2 article number 16 (2024)4 Biya, O et al, Notes from the Field: House-to-House Campaign Administration of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine — Sokoto State, Nigeria, November 2022, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, November 24, 2023 / 72(47);1290–12915 Global Polio Eradication Initiative, who we are: https://polioeradication.org/who-we-are/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250818535589/en/
Contacts
Nancy LillieNancy.Lillie@PharmaJet.com 1-888-900-4321 Option 3
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
WHO and UNICEF to Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign in Afghanistan with PharmaJet® Tropis® ID Delivery System
PharmaJet has been awarded a UNICEF tender to support WHO and GlobalPolio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners. This is the first large-scale implementation of intradermal (ID) polio immunization in Afghanistan. PharmaJet's award builds on the successful implementation of Tropis for ID delivery in polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Somalia. The use of Tropis ID in polio vaccination campaigns has improved vaccine coverage, decreased immunization program costs, and increased acceptability. GOLDEN, Colo., August 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PharmaJet®, a company that strives to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with its enabling needle-free injection technology, today announced that the WHO prequalified Tropis ID delivery system will be used to support a polio eradication campaign sponsored by the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) Afghanistan, UNICEF, WHO, and other GPEI partners starting in August 2025. Focused on the Eastern region of Afghanistan, the campaign will deploy Tropis ID to administer 1.3 million fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to children ages 5 and under in parallel to oral polio vaccine (OPV) administration as part of a WHO-recommended strategy to boost humoral and mucosal immunity. Poliovirus has been eliminated in most parts of the world due to widespread vaccination campaigns, but it continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission rose significantly in Afghanistan. The use of Tropis ID enables site-to-site immunization, a strategy where vaccination services are offered at multiple, convenient locations. This approach is expected to help increase immunization coverage, particularly in high-risk areas. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication endorsed the Afghanistan program's "Strategic Reset" to optimize site-to-site vaccination, while stressing the need for stronger leadership, community acceptance, and broad government engagement. Including Tropis ID fIPV in this immunization program supports Afghanistan's polio eradication goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages in the East, prevent new WPV1 cases in the East and South Regions, and prevent local transmission in other parts of the country.1 "We are pleased to be partnering with UNICEF, WHO, and NEOC Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio," said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President Global Business Development, PharmaJet. "We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and high acceptability2 previously seen with Tropis ID delivered fIPV in Pakistan,2 Somalia,3 and Nigeria4." Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks. About PharmaJet The PharmaJet mission is to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with our enabling technology that better activates the immune system. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet Precision Delivery Systems™ can improve vaccine effectiveness, allow for a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and offer a proven path to commercialization. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. The Stratis® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark, and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. They are both commercially available for global immunization programs. For more information or if you are interested in partnering with PharmaJet visit or contact PharmaJet here. Follow us on LinkedIn. About the NEOC Afghanistan NEOC Afghanistan is led by the Ministry of Public Health and the core members are WHO, UNICEF, BMGF, CDC, Rotary International, Core Group of Polio Project (CGPP), EPI manager and the National Polio Focal Point. About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)5 The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments with six partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. Launched in 1988 after the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with its partners, has helped countries to make huge progress in protecting the global population from this debilitating disease. As a result, the global incidence of polio has decreased by 99.9% since GPEI's foundation. An estimated 20 million people today are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease, and more than 1.5 million people are alive, whose lives would otherwise have been lost. Now the task remains to tackle polio in its last few strongholds and get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases including the two remaining endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. 1 World Health Organization, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Technical Advisory Group urges strong action to eradicate polio in Afghanistan, February 26, 20252 Daly, C et al, Needle-free injectors for mass administration of fractional dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) in Karachi, Pakistan: A survey of caregiver and vaccinator acceptability, Vaccine, Volume 38 Issue 8, 18 February, 2020, Pages 1893-18983 Nouh, K et al, Use of a fractional dose of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to increase IPV coverage among children under 5 years of age in Somalia, Springer Nature Volume 2 article number 16 (2024)4 Biya, O et al, Notes from the Field: House-to-House Campaign Administration of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine — Sokoto State, Nigeria, November 2022, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, November 24, 2023 / 72(47);1290–12915 Global Polio Eradication Initiative, who we are: View source version on Contacts Nancy 1-888-900-4321 Option 3
Business Wire
5 hours ago
- Business Wire
WHO and UNICEF to Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign
GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PharmaJet ®, a company that strives to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with its enabling needle-free injection technology, today announced that the WHO prequalified Tropis ID delivery system will be used to support a polio eradication campaign sponsored by the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) Afghanistan, UNICEF, WHO, and other GPEI partners starting in August 2025. Focused on the Eastern region of Afghanistan, the campaign will deploy Tropis ID to administer 1.3 million fractional doses of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to children ages 5 and under in parallel to oral polio vaccine (OPV) administration as part of a WHO-recommended strategy to boost humoral and mucosal immunity. Poliovirus has been eliminated in most parts of the world due to widespread vaccination campaigns, but it continues to circulate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2024, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) transmission rose significantly in Afghanistan. The use of Tropis ID enables site-to-site immunization, a strategy where vaccination services are offered at multiple, convenient locations. This approach is expected to help increase immunization coverage, particularly in high-risk areas. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication endorsed the Afghanistan program's 'Strategic Reset' to optimize site-to-site vaccination, while stressing the need for stronger leadership, community acceptance, and broad government engagement. Including Tropis ID fIPV in this immunization program supports Afghanistan's polio eradication goals to eliminate persistent virus lineages in the East, prevent new WPV1 cases in the East and South Regions, and prevent local transmission in other parts of the country. 1 'We are pleased to be partnering with UNICEF, WHO, and NEOC Afghanistan in their continued efforts to eradicate polio,' said Paul LaBarre, Senior Vice President Global Business Development, PharmaJet. 'We aim to achieve high impact in the fight against poliovirus, including increased coverage, decreased costs, and high acceptability 2 previously seen with Tropis ID delivered fIPV in Pakistan, 2 Somalia, 3 and Nigeria 4.' Refer to Instructions for Use to ensure safe injections and to review risks. About PharmaJet The PharmaJet mission is to improve the performance and outcomes of injectables with our enabling technology that better activates the immune system. We are committed to helping our partners realize their research and commercialization goals while making an impact on public health. PharmaJet Precision Delivery Systems™ can improve vaccine effectiveness, allow for a preferred patient and caregiver experience, and offer a proven path to commercialization. They are also safe, fast, and easy-to-use. The Stratis ® System has U.S. FDA 510(k) marketing clearance, CE Mark, and WHO PQS certification to deliver medications and vaccines either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. The Tropis ® System has CE Mark and WHO PQS certification for intradermal injections. They are both commercially available for global immunization programs. For more information or if you are interested in partnering with PharmaJet visit or contact PharmaJet here. Follow us on LinkedIn. About the NEOC Afghanistan NEOC Afghanistan is led by the Ministry of Public Health and the core members are WHO, UNICEF, BMGF, CDC, Rotary International, Core Group of Polio Project (CGPP), EPI manager and the National Polio Focal Point. About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) 5 The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments with six partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. Launched in 1988 after the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, along with its partners, has helped countries to make huge progress in protecting the global population from this debilitating disease. As a result, the global incidence of polio has decreased by 99.9% since GPEI's foundation. An estimated 20 million people today are walking who would otherwise have been paralyzed by the disease, and more than 1.5 million people are alive, whose lives would otherwise have been lost. Now the task remains to tackle polio in its last few strongholds and get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases including the two remaining endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. 1 World Health Organization, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Technical Advisory Group urges strong action to eradicate polio in Afghanistan, February 26, 2025 2 Daly, C et al, Needle-free injectors for mass administration of fractional dose inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) in Karachi, Pakistan: A survey of caregiver and vaccinator acceptability, Vaccine, Volume 38 Issue 8, 18 February, 2020, Pages 1893-1898 3 Nouh, K et al, Use of a fractional dose of inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) to increase IPV coverage among children under 5 years of age in Somalia, Springer Nature Volume 2 article number 16 (2024) 4 Biya, O et al, Notes from the Field: House-to-House Campaign Administration of Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine — Sokoto State, Nigeria, November 2022, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, November 24, 2023 / 72(47);1290–1291 5 Global Polio Eradication Initiative, who we are:
Forbes
15 hours ago
- Forbes
Measles Outbreak In Texas Officially Has Ended, But Threat Remains
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced on Monday that the measles outbreak in the western part of the state has ended. But officials also noted that the threat of new cases remains. And they reiterated that vaccination is the most effective means of preventing infections, reducing the severity of disease, and limiting extensive spread of the virus. The first cases associated with the current outbreak were reported in January 2025. In the ensuing seven months, 762 cases have been confirmed, resulting in 99 hospitalizations, and two deaths. About 30% of the cases occurred in children under 5 years of age. Over two-thirds occurred in people under 18 years of age. Only 21 of the 762 infected people are known to have received the recommended two-dose measles vaccine. Most of the cases occurred in the western part of the state, with 414 cases reported in Gaines County alone. But the virus spread far beyond this location. Linked cases have been reported in multiple Texas counties, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mexico and Canada. In all locations, most cases were in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people. Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease. Infected people usually exhibit a high fever, respiratory symptoms, conjunctivitis and the tell-tale rash. This rash typically appears about 14 days after exposure to the virus. In some cases, the incubation period can be longer. Symptoms may not appear until 21 days after exposure. For this reason, infectious disease experts consider an outbreak to be over if no new cases are reported for 42 days or two incubation periods. Some people falsely consider measles to be a relatively benign disease. An unpleasant but not severe childhood illness, they might argue. But according to the CDC, about 20% of unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles require hospitalization. The disease is fatal in approximately one to three out of every 1,000 unvaccinated children. About one out of every 1,000 children will develop swelling of the brain, which can lead to long-term hearing and cognitive problems. And, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, measles infection during pregnancy can lead to increased risks of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and miscarriage. But measles can be prevented. The vaccine, typically administered in the U.S. as part of the measles mumps rubella shot, is safe and very effective. The numbers speak volumes. Let's consider its effectiveness. Prior to the introduction of the first measles vaccine in 1963, roughly half a million cases occurred in the U.S. every year. In 2023, only 47 cases were reported. And in all recent outbreaks, a vast majority of cases have occurred in unvaccinated people. Now let's consider safety. No studies have shown a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. And the MMR vaccine never has contained thimerosal or any other form of mercury. Although some people experience adverse reactions to this or other vaccines, the MMR vaccine is incredibly safe. The current measles outbreak officially has ended. That's the good news. But the threat still exists. Thus far in 2025, measles cases have been reported in 40 U.S. states and multiple countries throughout the world. And anytime an infected person interacts with unvaccinated people, spread can occur. As noted on the CDC website, 'Measles anywhere is a threat everywhere.'
