WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say that antiviral drugs for polio need to be developed as the last weapon in the fight to eradicate the disease.
The World Health Organization is currently involved in a vaccination campaign that has come close to eliminating polio from the world. WHO plans to stop vaccinations three years after the last reported case of infection with wild polio virus.
The National Research Council of the National Academies says in a report the vaccine contains weakened live polio virus that could revert to virulence and infect unvaccinated individuals. They say antiviral drugs would be the last line of defense to control any outbreaks after the vaccination campaign ends.
The report identifies potential drugs and suggests the process for clinical trials and approval.
