Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)

ID#:

18182

Caption:

This image was captured in 2014, in Somalia, by Shurram Shahzad, during the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) Program, and depicts the left foot of an infant, who had been vaccinated during this polio eradication campaign. The baby’s big toe had been marked with indelible purple ink, in order to show that this baby had been immunized against polio, making it easier for subsequent visiting vaccinators, on follow-up campaigns, to identify and immunize children, who might have been missed. In this instance, it was an oral vaccine that had been administered. The work of STOP participants is extremely important to achieve polio eradication. Many countries have a shortage of skilled public health staff available to fully support polio eradication. WHO and UNICEF, working in conjunction with national Ministries of Health, request skilled short-term consultants, who can provide field support to immunization programs.