NIBSC acts as one of the seven WHO Global Specialized Polio Laboratories, whose main activity is overseeing the surveillance for poliovirus in the UK, Ireland and Cyprus as well as supporting all 140 polio laboratories globally by supplying standards and methodology, training staff and reviewing their performance.

The laboratory has several strong research programmes such as the characterisation of long term poliovirus replication in immunodeficient patients and the evaluation of methods to interrupt virus shedding from these patients. NIBSC is also involved in the preparation of improved reagents and methods to detect and characterise polioviruses from different surveillance activities, and the quality control of vaccines and development of vaccination strategies for the post-eradication era.

Polio Vaccine work at NIBSC