Sept. 9 (UPI) — We’re making it easier for New Yorkers to get their polio vaccine if they haven’t already received it.@HealthNYGov is ramping up its vaccination efforts and EMTs, midwives, and pharmacists are now able to provide the vaccine.
Learn more: https://t.co/HKRa2Xgo2Y— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 9, 2022
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency Friday over the rising number of polio cases being detected in wastewater in multiple jurisdictions.
Hochul made the declaration in an executive order because of “evidence of circulating poliovirus,” with Nassau County, N.Y., the latest to detect it.
The declaration runs through Oct. 9 and increases the availability of state resources in affected areas.
Polio was declared eliminated in the United States in 1979, primarily due to high vaccination rates. But there has been a recent outbreak of cases.
A case of paralytic polio was identified July 21 in an unvaccinated resident of Rockland County, N.Y. The person had no international travel during the incubation period for the paralytic virus.
Friday’s confirmed case in Nassau County has been genetically linked to the case in Rockland County, state health officials confirmed.
In mid-August, health officials in New York City confirmed the polio virus in sewage after other recent discoveries elsewhere in the state.
Authorities have been publicly urging people to get vaccinated against polio. People can spread the virus even if they do not know they are sick, and asymptomatic spread is a high concern among health officials.
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement.
“If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real. I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all.
“Polio immunization is safe and effective — protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the recommended doses. Do not wait to vaccinate.
“If you are unsure of you or your families’ vaccination status, contact a healthcare provider, clinic, or local county health department to make sure you and your loved ones receive all recommended doses.”
Polio can be a life-threatening illness. The virus is spread from person-to-person and enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person.
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