AFP
NOS News•
The US state of New York is scaling up the fight against a polio outbreak. The governor has declared a state of emergency so that more resources are available and more vaccines can be given.
Last July, polio was first diagnosed in a sick person in the region, just outside New York City. It was the first time in nearly a decade that the infectious disease had appeared in the US. The country was declared polio-free in 1979 after a vaccination campaign.
When analyzing sewage, the polio virus was later found in four other counties. This means that possibly hundreds of people are infected: many infected do not get sick but can pass the disease on to others.
Vaccination rate too low
Polio can cause paralysis or even death, especially for children under the age of three. The disease used to be common, but since the discovery of a vaccine in 1955, the number of cases has decreased dramatically worldwide. Two variants of the virus have already been eradicated worldwide, the third is only found in isolated parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The fact that the virus can now circulate again is because the vaccination rate against the disease in the affected regions is around 60 percent. Health officials hope to boost that to 90 percent with a catch-up campaign.
“You don’t want to risk polio,” Health Commissioner Mary Bassett warns. “If you or your child is not vaccinated, the risk of crippling disease is real.”
By declaring a state of emergency, nurses, midwives and pharmacists can also administer vaccines. In addition, data on immunization should be shared with New York State, allowing for better coordination of vaccinations.