Overview

Representatives from 46 laboratories in 36 countries in the WHO European Regional Polio Laboratory Network met together with representatives from WHO headquarters and international partner agencies in Copenhagen, Denmark from 29 to 31 August 2017. The main objectives of the meeting were to review and discuss the current status of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), activities and status of the Global and Regional Polio Laboratory Networks, implementation of recently introduced testing algorithms, and new laboratory tools and approaches in development. A particular objective was to review requirements and implementation of laboratory containment requirements following the successful withdrawal of trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) in April 2016 and the subsequent requirement for laboratory containment of Sabin-related type 2 polioviruses.