Malawi vaccinates 1.3 million children after polio detection

Around 1.3 million children in Malawi were vaccinated in a four-day campaign using the novel oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), with authorities reporting about 97% reach across eight districts; additional rounds are planned to reach children who missed the initial drive.

A four-day vaccination campaign in Malawi reached about 1.3 million children after authorities detected a new polio case in late January 2026. The drive used the novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) and followed Global Polio Eradication Initiative guidance for supplementary immunization activities. The campaign focused on eight districts in the Southern Region and was accompanied by outbreak investigation and social enquiries. Authorities reported strong community involvement and support from WHO in logistics and training. Key details: - About 1.3 million children were vaccinated in the four-day campaign following the detection of a polio case in late January 2026. - The campaign used nOPV2; Malawi received 1.7 million doses from the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision on 10 February 2026 and distributed them to delivery points within 12 hours. - Reported coverage across the eight targeted districts was about 97%, with Blantyre District reporting 107% of its target reached. - Additional rounds are planned to vaccinate roughly 42,000 children who missed the initial drive and two further national rounds are scheduled later this year. - WHO supported operational logistics, training, data systems and monitoring, including a post-campaign lot quality assessment; social mobilizers, health workers, religious leaders and traditional authorities helped address hesitancy, and 45 of 84 initially reluctant households accepted vaccination after engagement. - The outbreak response followed GPEI guidance; investigations reported circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in environmental samples and a vaccine-derived virus in an unvaccinated 7-year-old, and active case searches and interviews with 22 community members were conducted. Summary: The campaign was a rapid, coordinated public health response intended to interrupt poliovirus transmission after a detected case linked to vaccine-derived strains. Authorities report high immediate coverage, ongoing follow-up with remaining households, a post-campaign quality assessment, and additional national vaccination rounds planned later this year.