Health
New York Declares A State Of Emergency Over Polio
(CTN News) _ Polio virus has been detected in wastewater from four counties and New York City since April, according to the governor.
Unvaccinated man diagnosed with paralytic polio in July. Since only one in 100 polio infections results in serious illness, a paralytic case typically signals hundreds more infections.
Polo was found in Nassau County’s wastewater. In August, a sample collected there was genetically linked to the paralytic case.
There are also 50 samples from Rockland, Orange, and Sullivan counties.
There is evidence that polio is spreading in these communities, according to state health officials.
In Orange County, only 58% of children have received three shots before they turn two.
Sullivan County New York has a 62% rate, while Rockland County has 60%. In Nassau County, 79% of children are vaccinated.
It’s hoping to raise the state average above 90% by declaring a state of emergency.
The risk of paralysis is real if you or your child are not vaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations. New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement.
I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk whatsoever.
Medical workers, midwives, and pharmacists will now be able to administer polio vaccines under the emergency declaration.
Vaccination data must also be sent to the state health department so it can focus vaccination efforts accordingly.
Paralytic polio can be fatal in 2% to 10% of cases, but polio vaccines are 99% effective.
Vaccine-derived polio is a strain of polio linked to weakened, live virus from an oral polio vaccine that’s not administered in the United States.
Oral vaccines can cause polio if people shed the virus in communities with low vaccination rates. Unvaccinated people can then contract it.
The types of poliovirus found in New York City
The wastewater samples are not genetically linked to the paralytic case.
Eighty-six percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years had received three doses of polio vaccine in June.
Between the ages of 6 weeks and 6 years, most Americans receive four doses of the vaccine.
CDC recommends three doses for those not vaccinated by age 4.
If you have only received one or two shots, you should complete the series as soon as possible.
In case you are unsure, ask your parents, caregivers, doctors, or health clinics you visited as a child, or previous schools or employers.
It’s also possible to request childhood vaccination records, although many immunization registries don’t keep adult records.
If you can’t find your vaccination records, it’s safe to repeat them.
Is polio still alive today?
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