Mary Bassett: 'While you may assume that you and your children are up-to-date with polio immunizations, now is the time for all adults, including those who are pregnant, to ensure that this is true.'
A Rockland County Department of Health worker demonstrates preparation of a shot at a pop up vaccination clinic for the polio vaccine in Pomona, NY.The case of a young adult paralyzed by polio in New York is not simply unexpected. It’s shocking. The last time polio was diagnosed in New York State was in 1990. And yet the virus has now also been found in wastewater samples in Rockland County, Orange County and New York City.
In a conversation, my colleague and friend Jane Cardosa, a Malaysian virologist, calmly noted, “In our part of the world, one case of paralytic polio is an outbreak.” The case in New York State is no fluke, freak accident or government conspiracy. And it’s not surprising that we have had just one person develop paralysis. Many are unaware that about 70 percent of people who contract polio have no symptoms.
Up-to-date polio immunizations are a requirement for school-age children. But more vaccinations are needed, and sooner. The greatest hurdle is vaccine resistance, which has grown astronomically. True, many people have lost confidence in government, and public health departments have borne the brunt. Some believe they can protect themselves and their families by going against the advice of public health experts and flouting state-mandated immunization programs.
This is where we are. The emergence of new pathogens like COVID-19 or unusual presentations of more recently identified viruses in the U.S., like monkeypox, will be only the beginning. Polio, an ancient scourge, can come back. The good news is that we can change this grim scenario.
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