Editorial 1:Intriguing silence

Context: India should switch to inactivated polio vaccine

Introduction

The case of acute flaccid paralysis, likely due to polio, in a child from Tikrikilla in Meghalaya, and in the media spotlight, was reported by the State government on August 14.

History of detected Polio Cases

• The Kolkata detected case- iVDPV: In April 2022, a case of vaccine-derived poliovirus was detected from an environmental sample collected in Kolkata. After genetic sequencing, it was considered likely to be immunodeficiency-related vaccine-derived poliovirus (iVDPV), excreted by an immune-deficient individual.
• The Meghalaya case incident:  There is still no official report on whether it is vaccine-derived and not caused by wild poliovirus.
• The global case: With the global eradication of the wild poliovirus (WPV) type 2 in 2015 and the WPV type 3 in 2019, respectively, and no WPV type 1 found in environment samples in India for years, it is highly unlikely that it is due to the WPV type 1 unless it has been imported into India.
• The Afghanistan and Pakistan cases: Have reported 14 WPV type 1 cases this year.

Concerns regarding confirmation of Polio cases and its types

• Vaccine-derived: There is again no official confirmation on whether it is iVDPV or from circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV).
• Virus-circulation: This information is key as cVDPV would mean that the virus is in circulation in the community, while iVDPV is restricted to the single immunodeficient child.
• No official report on virus type: If whether the case has been caused by the type-1, type-2 or type-3 vaccine-derived virus.
• India’s case: India made the globally synchronised switch in 2016 from trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine that has only live, attenuated type 1 and type 3 virus.
• Risk of virus import: While it is impossible that the child has the type 2 virus from the oral vaccine given in India, the chances of cVDPV type 2 virus imported into India cannot be ruled out.
• Global environmental virus samples: In 2024, 68 cVDPV2 and four cVDPV1 cases were recorded globally. Many countries have reported cVDPV in environment samples.

Way forward

The long delay in confirming these crucial details is intriguing as samples from the child were sent to the ICMR-NIV Mumbai unit, which is a part of the WHO network of 146 accredited polio laboratories worldwide and conducts research on diseases caused by enteroviruses, especially paralytic poliomyelitis and acute flaccid paralysis. Thus, efforts to expediate the virus profiling needs to be expediated.

Conclusion

Unlike in the case of IPV, immunodeficient children are not supposed to be administered OPV. Since identifying such children prior to administering OPV is a challenge in India, India will continue to have such cases in the future. The Meghalaya case again brings into focus the urgent need for India to stop using OPV and switch over exclusively to IPV. Most developed countries switched to IPV decades ago. There is no reason why India should not switch to IPV at the earliest.

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Editorial 2:Death at work

Context: A safety audit is essential to prevent industrial accidents

Introduction

The blast at pharma company Escientia’s plant in the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, is the worst industrial accident in the region in recent times. Seventeen workers have died and many have been injured. On the same day, about 10 workers suffered injuries in a fire accident at a chemical factory in the same SEZ.

About the Atchutapuram SEZ

• Not the first incident: Last year, on June 30, a massive explosion rocked a pharma plant, at the same SEZ, leading to deaths and injuries.
• The Atchutapuram SEZ: Among the State’s largest SEZs, is home to the factories of more than 100 companies.
• Styrene monomer vapour leak: The rash of accidents revives memories of another deadly accident on May 7, 2020 — 12 people died after a styrene monomer vapour leak from a polymers unit at Venkatapuram village on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam.
• Industrial safety: These accidents raise serious questions about the state of industrial safety in Andhra Pradesh, more specifically in the SEZ.

Why did the blast happen?

• State Home Minister V. Anitha has said that at Escientia, workers had tried to plug a solvent leak of the chemical/solvent MTBE (Methyl tert-butyl ether). Before the leak could be plugged, it fell on an electrical panel, leading to a fire and blast, she said.
• The typical safety data sheet of MTBE — that operating personnel should have been familiar with — says that it is highly flammable and its vapour can also cause skin and eye irritation.
• In case of accidental release, it specifically cautions against the serious risk of fire and explosion and lays down the use of explosion-proof electrical/ventilating/lighting equipment.

What are the key demands of Trade Unions

• Safety Standards: Trade unions and activists are calling for stringent punishment to lax managements and maintaining safety standards.
• Safety Audits: Their demand is for an immediate and thorough safety audit of all units at the SEZs and elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh.
• Government Inspection – High risk zones: A key complaint is exemption from government inspection given to units in SEZs and Export Processing Zones in a 2016 order that brought into force the system of online inspections. This exemption will apparently apply to high-risk ones also, such as pharma and chemicals, in SEZs.
• Medium risk industries: Another is exemption from inspections given to medium-risk industries which can self-certify, based on third party audits, regarding compliance with safety norms.

Conclusion

Such government moves are intended to facilitate ease-of-doing business as frequent inspections by government staff may only lead to bribes and harassment without necessarily improving safety. While the intent is a well worked out practice across the world, the series of accidents calls for a broader probe including in SEZs in Andhra Pradesh so that any loopholes present can be fixed. Swift delivery of justice by punishing non-compliance of norms and the award of punitive damages will be a deterrent against ignoring safety.