World Health Organization, WHO, scientists have stated that as compared to triple and single vaccines, a potent weapon in the battle to eradicate the crippling polio virus is a new double-strain polio vaccine.

WHO experts said as compared to triple vaccines, a significantly higher immune response was induced by the bivalent oral polio vaccine, known as bOPV.

WHO scientist Roland Sutter said that two key strains of the crippling virus are those that can be avoided by a single oral vaccine especially in high-risk areas and the vaccine could get us to the finish line of polio eradication.

Drug firms including Britain's GlaxoSmithKline and India's Panacea Biotec have developed the vaccines for WHO immunization programs.

Sutter said, "The main advantage of the bivalent is that it is so effective against type 1 and type 3 poliovirus at the same time. The impact has been quite dramatic already in India and in Nigeria with cases coming down to very low levels this year."

It was stated by WHO spokesman Rod Curtis said that about 55.7 million who will receive the bivalent vaccine will be included in some 72 million children in 15 countries across Africa who this week would be vaccinated in immunization campaigns.