While polio is eradicated in most first-world countries it still threatens the population of developing countries, including Pakistan. The virus is highly contagious and infects large numbers of the countries population. The vaccines that helped eradicate the disease in many areas of the world cannot do the same in these countries. Oral vaccinations include injecting the weakened, but live, polio virus into individuals. The weakened virus has been known to transform into full scale polio causing paralysis and death in it’s victims.
The inactivated poliovirus vaccine or IPV was to be introduced as an alternative to the oral vaccine, as it would not transform into polio due to the inactive strains of the virus. The problem being that the IPV is very sensitive to any spike or drop in temperature.
Researchers at Southern University of California were able to develop a method where the vaccine would not be compromised in varying temperature. Dry freezing IPV and including certain ingredients to make it more stable allows for the vaccine to be provided to people in areas such a Pakistan where extreme temperatures are common.
Pakistan and the United States have maintained a relationship since the Cold War, this effort being made to produce a vaccination that would make a difference in countries, namely Pakistan, plagued by polio is definitely in the national interest of many countries.
This new vaccination has been perfected by an American University, while it is obviously going to be made available to countries in need of such a niche vaccination, it will come with a price.
As a medical advancement this means great things and great steps toward the worldwide eradication of polio, but national interest still plays a major role in the sharing and dispersion of this new finding.