Health authorities in Papua New Guinea will very soon rollout the first round of vaccination to tackle the poliovirus, now that the much-needed vaccines have arrived in country. On Friday 13th June, 4.6 million lifesaving vaccine doses arrived in Port Moresby city. The arrival of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) has set the stage for the launching of the first round of emergency vaccinations to stop the spread of poliovirus. The intensive two-round campaign is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Australian Government. The vaccine delivery comes just weeks after PNG declared a national health emergency. Circulating poliovirus was detected in environmental samples and healthy children. “This is an urgent race to protect our children and stop the virus in its tracks,” said Dr Veera Mendonca, UNICEF Papua New Guinea Representative. “The arrival of these vaccines is a vital first step. Now we need to get them to every child.” Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea H.E. Ewen McDonald said his country was pleased to provide an immediate contribution of AUD 5 million to support PNG’s response. “The arrival in Port Moresby today of a large shipment of polio vaccines is an important milestone,” he said. H.E. Mr. McDonald said Australia would continue to work with PNG to protect children, reduce the risk of future outbreaks, and support a healthier, more resilient region. Meanwhile, the vaccines will be distributed across the country in the coming weeks. Health workers will deploy by air, foot, boat, helicopter and vehicle to reach children in even the most remote villages. PNG had been polio-free for 25 years until a previous outbreak in 2018. The current outbreak was detected in April and May (2025) through environmental surveillance in Morobe Province and Port Moresby city. No cases of paralysis have been reported.