NY county with polio has pitiful 60% vaccination rate; 1,000s may be infected

The vaccine that left an unvaccinated US resident with the country's first case of paralytic polio in nearly a decade has been linked to the spread of the disease in the UK and Israel. Hundreds or even thousands of people in a New York county are at risk of contracting the disease now that it has been detected in the United States.

Unvaccinated residents in New York were urged to get the vaccine as quickly as possible.

The New York State Department of Health said in a news release that a person can transmit the disease even if they are not sick. The disease can be spread through poor hygiene and Sanitation. The virus can be transmitted through food or water. "Symptoms, which can be mild and flu-like, can take up to 30 days to appear," the health department said.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 200 people are affected by the disease. It's possible that hundreds of others were already exposed to the disease after the only case of it in New York.

Pockets of risk

The majority of Americans have been protected against the disease. The first 24 months of the vaccine's effectiveness is included in the CDC's standard immunization schedule. The data from the CDC shows that 93 percent of US children received their first dose of IPV by the time they were 2 years old.

Rockland County is a northern suburb of New York City and has low vaccine rates.

Rockland County has a vaccine rate for 2 year olds that is less than the statewide average.

The paralytic case in Rockland was first reported in July, but the person's symptoms began in June. Epidemiologists now say that thousands could be exposed to the disease.

Multinational spread

That is only in the US. The strain of vaccine-derived polioviruses behind the Rockland case is genetically linked to viruses found in London and Jerusalem, suggesting a sustained, multinational spread of the disease.

The US and the UK don't use oral polio vaccines anymore because they evolve from vaccine strains. Ipv and Opv are used by Ireal. The weakened viruses used in the oral vaccine can be passed from person to person and can cause disease if they are not protected. It's not clear where and how this started.

It is vital that all countries with a high volume of travel and contact with affected countries and areas strengthen their surveillance in order to quickly detect any new virus importation and to facilitate a rapid response. "Countries, territories, and areas should maintain uniformly high routine immunization coverage at the district level and at the lowest administrative level to protect children from polio and to minimize the consequences of any newviruses being introduced."

People in New York are being urged to line up for vaccinations.

The Commissioner of the New York State Health Department said that Polo is a dangerous disease. In the United States, we are fortunate to have the crucial protection offered through the vaccine, which has safeguarded our country and people for over 60 years. It's time for every adult, parent, and guardian to get themselves and their children vaccine as soon as possible because of the rapid spread of the disease.