NEW DELHI: Despite being officially certified as polio-free in 2014, India remains at risk of polio reinfection due to vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV), its proximity to endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and potential gaps in immunity, experts said here on the occasion of World Polio Day on Friday.

Deepak Kapur, Chairman, Rotary International’s India National PolioPlus Committee (RI-INPPC), told this newspaper, “India was officially declared polio-free in 2014, but the battle against the virus is still ongoing.” As surveillance is a key to India maintaining its polio-free status, he said, strong immunisation and surveillance programmes is critical.

“As the world nears complete polio eradication, the importance of highly sensitive surveillance remains paramount. In the post-er

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