BBC: The governor of New York has declared a state of emergency over polio as evidence emerges that the virus is spreading across the state.
Polio was largely eradicated from the US by vaccinations that began in 1955.
By 1979, the US was declared polio-free.
But according to New York officials, vaccination rates are too low in parts of the state. Friday’s emergency declaration is aimed at boosting flagging immunisation rates.
New York’s state health department said it aims to boost vaccination rates from the current state-wide average of about 79% to above 90%.
She added that “for every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other people infected”.
An inactivated polio vaccine is used in both the US and the UK as part of the routine childhood programme. In the US, about 93% of toddlers have received at least three doses of the polio jab, according to vaccination data from the CDC.
Officials began monitoring wastewater in the state for poliovirus after an unvaccinated man in Rockland County, just north of New York City, contracted the virus in July – the first recorded case since 2013 – and suffered paralysis.
Wastewater samples in Orange County, Sullivan County and the five boroughs of New York City have also tested positive for paralytic polio.
The emergency order issued on Friday by Governor Kathy Hochul is the state’s third this year, in addition to similar orders issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic and monkeypox.
It empowers emergency medical workers, midwives and pharmacists to join the network of providers who can roll out the polio vaccine.
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One response to “New York declares state of emergency over polio”
To declared a state of emergency I was looking for number of cases but the waste water tested positive? Is it that easy to declare state of emergency now? Did I miss something in this article? Ok let’s back track other than the last let’s say three years it should be a very small number or section of the population affected since it given in the early stages of infancy. Another unnatural push. No wonder people questioning everything