[False beliefs about vaccines]

[Eradication of poliomyelitis in Spain: What has happened in the last decade?]

On the 60th anniversary of the initiation of the polio vaccination campaign in Spain, the significant milestone in achieving disease control is highlighted. There has been a shift from an incidence of over 2,000 yearly cases in the 1960s to a sustained absence of wild poliovirus (WPV) since 1988. Despite the observed negative impact on polio vaccination coverage at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, these rates gradually recovered, reaching 98.2% in primary vaccination in 2022. Over the past decade, two essential elements have been identified to maintain the goal of polio elimination and that reinforces the importance of sustaining high vaccination coverage: robust epidemiological surveillance systems and a swift response to alerts to protect the vulnerable population and prevent virus reintroduction. In order to achieve eradication, it is crucial to interrupt international transmission and maintain continuous high-quality surveillance and effective coordination across different levels in response to any detection of PV, wild or vaccine derived. This article aimed to provide a comprehensive view of the polio eradication situation in Spain, focusing on the key events that occurred in the last decade and the present and future challenges.

SARS-CoV-2-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome is a para-infectious disease

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been linked to the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The objective of the present study is to identify specific clinical features of cases of GBS reported in the literature associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We searched Pubmed, and included single case reports and case series with full text in English, reporting original data of patients with GBS and a confirmed recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clinical data were extracted. We identified 28 articles (22 single case reports and 6 case series), reporting on a total of 44 GBS patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed through serum reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in 72.7% of cases. A total of 40 patients (91%) had symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection before the onset of the GBS. The median period between the onset of symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptoms of the GBS was 11.2 days (range, 2-23). The most common clinical features were: leg weakness (61.4%), leg paresthesia (50%), arm weakness (50.4%), arm paresthesia (50.4%), hyporeflexia/areflexia (48%) and ataxia (22.7%). In total, 38.6% (n = 17) were found to have facial paralysis. Among 37 patients in whom nerve-conduction studies and electromyography were performed, of which 26 patients (59.1%) were consistent with the acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy subtype of the GBS. The present retrospective analysis support the role of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the development of the GBS, may trigger GBS as para-infectious disease, and lead to SARS-CoV-2-associated GBS.