Pulse Polio Programme – implementation and achievements MCQs With Answer

Pulse Polio Programme – implementation and achievements MCQs With Answer

The Pulse Polio Programme is India’s large-scale immunization initiative focused on interrupting poliovirus transmission through mass oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaigns, surveillance, and mop‑up activities. This introduction covers implementation strategies, National Immunization Days (NIDs), surveillance indicators like non‑polio AFP rate and stool adequacy, cold chain and logistics, vaccine-derived poliovirus risks, and major achievements such as India’s polio‑free certification in 2014 and the global tOPV to bOPV switch. Keywords: Pulse Polio Programme, OPV, NIDs, surveillance, AFP, vaccine coverage, mop‑up, eradication, cold chain, VAPP, cVDPV. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What is the primary objective of the Pulse Polio Programme?

• To provide routine childhood vaccinations for all EPI vaccines
• To interrupt transmission of wild poliovirus through mass OPV campaigns
• To introduce inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as the only polio vaccine
• To replace measles immunization campaigns

Correct Answer: To interrupt transmission of wild poliovirus through mass OPV campaigns

Q2. Which vaccine is most commonly used in Pulse Polio mass campaigns?

• Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)
• Trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV)
• Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV)
• Monovalent measles‑polio combination vaccine

Correct Answer: Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV)

Q3. What does NID stand for in the Pulse Polio context?

• National Immunization Directive
• National Immunization Days
• New Immunization Development
• National Infectious Disease program

Correct Answer: National Immunization Days

Q4. Which surveillance indicator measures sensitivity of polio surveillance systems?

• Proportion of children vaccinated
• Non‑polio AFP rate per 100,000 children under 15
• Cold chain temperature excursions per month
• Vaccine wastage rate

Correct Answer: Non‑polio AFP rate per 100,000 children under 15

Q5. What is the recommended target for stool specimen adequacy in AFP surveillance?

• At least 50% of AFP cases with adequate stool specimens
• At least 80% of AFP cases with adequate stool specimens
• 100% of AFP cases with adequate stool specimens
• At least 30% of AFP cases with adequate stool specimens

Correct Answer: At least 80% of AFP cases with adequate stool specimens

Q6. India was officially certified polio‑free by WHO in which year?

• 2010
• 2012
• 2014
• 2016

Correct Answer: 2014

Q7. Which event in 2016 was a major global change affecting OPV use?

• Introduction of oral IPV
• Global switch from tOPV to bOPV
• Ban on all OPV use worldwide
• Replacement of OPV with a new live vaccine

Correct Answer: Global switch from tOPV to bOPV

Q8. What is vaccine‑associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP)?

• Paralysis caused by wild poliovirus only
• Paralysis caused by aseptic meningitis after vaccination
• Rare paralysis caused by OPV reverting to neurovirulence in vaccine recipient
• Common adverse effect of IPV

Correct Answer: Rare paralysis caused by OPV reverting to neurovirulence in vaccine recipient

Q9. What is a circulating vaccine‑derived poliovirus (cVDPV)?

• An attenuated IPV strain causing disease
• A wild poliovirus introduced from another country
• An OPV‑derived strain that has genetically reverted and is transmitting in the community
• A lab‑contaminated poliovirus that escaped

Correct Answer: An OPV‑derived strain that has genetically reverted and is transmitting in the community

Q10. Which programmatic activity is a ‘mop‑up’ campaign?

• Routine immunization at health centers
• Targeted door‑to‑door vaccination in areas with detected poliovirus
• Annual health education in schools
• Surveillance training for lab staff

Correct Answer: Targeted door‑to‑door vaccination in areas with detected poliovirus

Q11. Which laboratory indicator is essential for quality AFP surveillance?

• Proportion of stool specimens arriving within 72 hours under proper cold chain
• Number of vaccine doses administered per month
• Percentage of field teams trained
• Vaccine potency test results

Correct Answer: Proportion of stool specimens arriving within 72 hours under proper cold chain

Q12. Why is OPV preferred for mass campaigns compared with IPV in many low‑resource settings?

• OPV is injectable and generates stronger systemic immunity
• OPV induces mucosal immunity, is cheaper and easy for mass administration
• OPV has no risk of reversion to neurovirulence
• IPV causes widespread shedding of live virus

Correct Answer: OPV induces mucosal immunity, is cheaper and easy for mass administration

Q13. Which global initiative coordinates polio eradication efforts including Pulse Polio?

• Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)
• Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)
• Global Fund for Vaccines
• World Health Assembly Surveillance Network

Correct Answer: Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)

Q14. What is an important cold chain consideration for OPV during campaigns?

• OPV can be left at ambient temperature for days without loss of potency
• Maintaining recommended refrigerated temperatures during transport and storage to preserve potency
• OPV must be kept frozen at all times
• Cold chain is unnecessary for oral vaccines

Correct Answer: Maintaining recommended refrigerated temperatures during transport and storage to preserve potency

Q15. Which age group is primarily targeted in Pulse Polio campaigns?

• Adults 18 years and older
• Adolescents 10–19 years
• Children under five years of age
• Newborns only

Correct Answer: Children under five years of age

Q16. What programmatic measure demonstrates achievement of high campaign coverage?

• High non‑polio AFP rate
• High administrative or survey‑based coverage percentage for targeted children
• Increase in vaccine wastage rate
• Decrease in staff training sessions

Correct Answer: High administrative or survey‑based coverage percentage for targeted children

Q17. Which of the following is a direct accomplishment of the Pulse Polio Programme in India?

• Complete replacement of OPV with IPV in routine schedule by 2010
• Elimination of indigenous wild poliovirus transmission and certification as polio‑free
• Eradication of all enteroviruses
• Elimination of vaccine adverse events

Correct Answer: Elimination of indigenous wild poliovirus transmission and certification as polio‑free

Q18. Which monitoring method is used to validate coverage during Pulse Polio campaigns?

• Lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) and post‑campaign surveys
• Only administrative tally sheets without verification
• Randomized controlled trials
• RT‑PCR testing of all children

Correct Answer: Lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) and post‑campaign surveys

Q19. How does mucosal immunity induced by OPV contribute to eradication?

• Prevents viremia but not intestinal infection
• Reduces intestinal replication and shedding, interrupting transmission
• Causes permanent carriage of vaccine virus
• Only affects systemic antibody levels

Correct Answer: Reduces intestinal replication and shedding, interrupting transmission

Q20. Which activity strengthens surveillance for poliovirus in addition to AFP surveillance?

• Environmental (sewage) surveillance for poliovirus
• Blood culture surveillance
• Measles case notification
• Malaria rapid diagnostic tests

Correct Answer: Environmental (sewage) surveillance for poliovirus

Q21. Which of these is a risk factor for emergence of cVDPV?

• High OPV coverage in the population
• Low immunization coverage allowing OPV strains to circulate and evolve
• Exclusive use of IPV everywhere
• Immediate switch from OPV to IPV without planning

Correct Answer: Low immunization coverage allowing OPV strains to circulate and evolve

Q22. The last reported indigenous wild polio case in India occurred in which year?

• 2005
• 2008
• 2011
• 2014

Correct Answer: 2011

Q23. For B.Pharm students, which area of study is most relevant to Pulse Polio Programme pharmacovigilance?

• Formulation of antibiotics
• Vaccine safety monitoring, adverse event reporting and causality assessment
• Drug pricing strategies
• Synthesis of small molecule antivirals

Correct Answer: Vaccine safety monitoring, adverse event reporting and causality assessment

Q24. Which operational challenge is common during large‑scale OPV campaigns?

• Excess vaccine supply with no recipients
• Maintaining cold chain logistics, trained workforce and reaching mobile populations
• Lack of any community engagement needs
• Excessive laboratory capacity for testing

Correct Answer: Maintaining cold chain logistics, trained workforce and reaching mobile populations

Q25. What is the role of social mobilization in Pulse Polio campaigns?

• To register new vaccine formulations
• To increase community acceptance and demand for vaccination
• To conduct laboratory testing
• To distribute antibiotics alongside OPV

Correct Answer: To increase community acceptance and demand for vaccination

Q26. Which data metric helps identify immunity gaps in specific areas?

• National GDP
• Coverage disaggregated by district and urban/rural status
• Number of hospitals per 100,000
• Average vaccine cost

Correct Answer: Coverage disaggregated by district and urban/rural status

Q27. Which stakeholder is NOT typically involved in Pulse Polio implementation?

• Ministry of Health and state health departments
• Frontline health workers and volunteers
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing regulators for vaccine quality
• Commercial retailers selling OTC cold medicines as campaign staff

Correct Answer: Commercial retailers selling OTC cold medicines as campaign staff

Q28. Which documentation is crucial immediately after a mop‑up campaign?

• Detailed line lists of vaccinated children, coverage reports and adverse event logs
• Only verbal reports to district officials
• Only financial receipts of vaccine purchase
• Laboratory sequencing of all environmental samples

Correct Answer: Detailed line lists of vaccinated children, coverage reports and adverse event logs

Q29. After achieving polio‑free status, why must countries maintain high immunity and surveillance?

• Poliovirus cannot be reintroduced once a country is certified
• To prevent re‑establishment of transmission from importation or cVDPVs
• To allow discontinuation of all immunization programs
• Surveillance is unnecessary post‑certification

Correct Answer: To prevent re‑establishment of transmission from importation or cVDPVs

Q30. For pharmacy graduates engaged in polio work, which competency is most valuable?

• Knowledge of small molecule pharmacokinetics only
• Understanding vaccine cold chain management, stability and adverse event reporting
• Exclusive focus on retail dispensing of antibiotics
• Designing surgical interventions

Correct Answer: Understanding vaccine cold chain management, stability and adverse event reporting

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