Chinese health authorities have vaccinated more than 9 million people in a remote western region against polio amid an outbreak of the disease that has paralyzed 17 people and killed one of them.
The outbreak in Hotan prefecture in Xinjiang began in July and the last confirmed case was reported in mid-September. China had been polio-free for 11 years before the outbreak.
The Xinjiang Health Bureau says in a report on its website that the first round of vaccinations was administered last month over three periods to cover children and people aged 15 to 39 in Hotan and surrounding areas. It says this totals more than 9.3 million people.
The World Health Organization says the polio strain detected in China came from Pakistan where the disease is endemic.
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