Poliovirus Detected in New York City Wastewater: What You Need to Know

The state of emergency will allow groups such as EMTs, pharmacists and midwives to receive the polio vaccine. Also, providers must send polio immunization data to the state.

Hundreds of polio cases may have occurred among unvaccinated New Yorkers, officials said. As New York City officials scramble to meet demand, monkeypox vaccination Adjust to CDC’s New COVID-19 Guidelinesresidents grapple with additional public health threats. Associated Press report.

“For each identified case of paralytic polio, hundreds more may go undetected,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. in a previous statement“The detection of poliovirus in New York City wastewater samples is surprising, but not surprising.”

Bassett added that the New York State Department of Health is responding “urgently” at the local and federal levels and is “proactively assessing” the spread of the disease. Health officials did not specify the five governorates where the virus was detected.

Until recently, the United States had been polio free for nearly a decade. July 21st, Unvaccinated men in Rockland County After contracting the virus, he developed paralysis.

Poliovirus is spread through saliva and faeces and is preventable through vaccination. That’s why New York officials are urging unvaccinated individuals, including children, to get vaccinated against polio as soon as possible.

“The risk to New Yorkers is real, but the defense is very simple: Get vaccinated against polio,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in an earlier statement.

“With polio prevalent in our communities, nothing is more important than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus. Choose to get vaccinated now, polio is completely preventable and its resurgence should be actionable for all of us,” Vasan pointed out.

Infants can be vaccinated against polio as early as 6 weeks of age. Prior to that, newborns were well protected by maternal transmission of antibodies. Dr. Zachary Huipediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Nashville Pediatric Infectious Disease.

“If the infant’s mother is vaccinated, the infant is not at increased risk,” Hoy said.

People with compromised immune systems, such as those taking medications or chemotherapy that affect antibody production, are at increased risk.

Since polio is spread through fecal-oral transmission, frequent hand washing can help prevent the spread of the poliovirus, Hoy said.

Hui says there are no special precautions immunocompromised people should take at this time other than regular hand washing and vaccinations.

Lovers of at-risk groups should keep polio immunizations up to date and ensure their children have access to childhood immunizations, including against polio.

Dr. Monica GandhiMPH, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said the polio vaccine is highly effective in preventing the disease.

“We know that the first polio vaccine will protect individuals from severe disease for the long term, possibly for the rest of their lives, although it varies from person to person,” Gandhi said.

“The only people who need to worry are the unvaccinated, because vaccines, like those for COVID, are highly protective against severe forms of polio. The risk of paralytic polio. Children have the highest rates of infection, so it is imperative that they are vaccinated as they have had setbacks with COVID-19.”

Gandhi pointed out that vaccines prevent disease, but like the COVID-19 vaccine, they do not always prevent all outbreaks.

“But unlike COVID-19, we usually only screen for polio if someone has symptoms, so we know very clearly that vaccination prevents the development of polio symptoms.” added Gandhi.

of Recommended by CDC For best prevention, children should be vaccinated with four doses of polio vaccine.

old Research from 2005 show that a polio vaccine generates strong and lasting T-cell immunity against polio; durable memory B cellsGandhi pointed out.

Most adults in the United States were vaccinated against polio at an early age, and some areas can improve vaccination coverage among children today.

new york times report New York City has an overall polio immunization rate of 86% for children under the age of five. However, in other parts of the city, less than two-thirds Five children under the age of five have been fully vaccinated against polio, with health authorities involved.

In addition Recommended by CDC A one-time inactivated polio vaccine booster shot for adults who may be exposed to the virus in areas like New York.

“Boosters are generally recommended for immunocompromised patients, which may be the target group for polio boosters at this time (the UK is considering this for young children),” Gandhi said. said.

“If we can catch up, I don’t think we will see an epidemic of paralytic polio (a symptomatic disease) with such high vaccination coverage in the United States. I think the focus should be on vaccinating people who haven’t had the first polio vaccine series, like children and adults who haven’t been vaccinated yet (like this young man). .”

Polio was detected in city sewage twice in one month in New York State.

If the polio virus is detected in sewage, officials say, it could be a community spread among unvaccinated people.

You can get polio even if you are vaccinated, but you are less likely to develop serious symptoms.

Health experts say polio outbreaks are unlikely in the United States, where vaccine levels remain relatively high. Therefore, unvaccinated individuals, especially those living in New York City, are being urged by city officials to be vaccinated against polio as soon as possible.