{Summary}
Situation at a glance
On 9 May 2025, the International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) for Papua New Guinea (PNG) notified WHO of the detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) from stool specimens of two healthy children from Morobe province, Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The detection of wild poliovirus (WPV) or vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), including from samples taken from healthy children, is considered a serious public health event.
Given the country's suboptimal routine immunization coverage, especially at the subnational level, the risk of potential spread locally is considered high.
WHO advises all countries—especially those with frequent travel and connections to polio-affected areas—should strengthen acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and environmental surveillance while maintaining high level of immunization coverage to quickly detect and respond to virus importation and prevent further spread by closing immunity gaps.
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Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON571
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