In this episode of LSHTM Viral, hosts Karl Byrne and Naomi Stewart explore the return of an old disease making new headlines: polio. While global health initiatives have reduced the global polio burden by more than 99% since 1988, the fight is far from over. With the virus recently detected in London's wastewater and vital surveillance funding facing cuts, the risk of resurgence is a terrifying reality.
We explore the lifelong toll of the virus with polio survivor and advocate Anne Wafula Strike, tracking her journey from childhood exclusion in Kenya to a Paralympian wheelchair racer for Team GB. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard of Oxford University breaks down the critical differences between the inactivated polio vaccine used in the UK and the live oral vaccines used globally, shedding light on how logistical hurdles - like the cost of bus fare and lack of access to healthcare advice - are driving down childhood immunisation rates. Finally, Dr. Zubair Wadood from the WHO tackles vaccine misinformation and explains the complex geopolitics of conflict zones and community scepticism that stand in the way of that final 1% of global eradication.
The foothold polio retains is a masterclass in what happens when we stop paying attention. Join us as we examine what it takes to hold the line for global health security.
Guests:
· Anne Wafula Strike: Polio survivor and Team Anti-Polio ambassador, discussing stigma, post-polio syndrome, and sport as an advocacy platform.
· Professor Sir Andrew Pollard: Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, explaining wastewater detection, vaccine-derived mutations, and systemic barriers to UK vaccine access.
· Dr. Zubair Wadood: Medical Epidemiologist from the WHO, debunking the myth that vaccines cause polio and outlining the strategy for eliminating the virus in its final endemic regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Episode Chapters:
· 00:00 – Introduction: An old disease making new headlines.
· 00:37 – The early warning system: London's wastewater surveillance and funding cuts.
· 01:19 – The lived reality: Surviving polio, childhood stigma, and post-polio syndrome.
· 03:47 – From the sidelines to the Paralympics: Advocating for global awareness.
· 05:51 – Breaking down the science: Inactivated vaccines versus oral vaccines.
· 08:40 – Debunking the myth: Patchy coverage and variant polio strains.
· 09:37 – Access and logistics: The real reasons UK vaccination rates are dropping.
· 13:10 – The final 1%: Geopolitics and conflict zones.
· 16:08 – Holding the line: The critical need for global health security and funding.
