On Mar. 17, 2023, the Indonesia Ministry of Health notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the detection of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in a 48-month-old female with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), from Purwakarta district in West Java province.

The case had the onset of paralysis on 16 February 2023. The girl had not received any previous doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) or inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

Field investigations were immediately launched by local and national public health authorities, with support from partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). On Nov. 28, the Ministry of Health launched an immunization campaign for children under the age of 13 years in the affected areas.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that largely affects children under five years of age, causing permanent paralysis (approximately 1 in 200 infections) or death (2-10% of those paralyzed).

The virus is transmitted person-to-person, mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g., contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. The incubation period is usually 7–10 days but can range from 4–35 days. Up to 90% of those infected are either asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms and the disease usually goes unrecognized.