Abstract:
Poliomyelitis (polio) has been eradicated from most countries and 2012 saw a historic low of less than 300 cases worldwide. These were generally restricted to Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan where polio is still endemic. There are still complex issues to be resolved before full eradication will be realised, including the use of oral polio vaccine which has the potential to perpetuate outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio. The objectives for this review have been informed by the general specifications for the 2012 New Zealand (NZ) antigen review. The choice of articles reviewed is based on the purposeful selection of recent reviews and studies that may best inform policy discussions around polio vaccines for NZ.