New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a polio emergency to boost vaccination rates in the state amid more evidence that the virus is spreading in the community.
Poliovirus has now been detected in wastewater samples from four counties in the New York metropolitan area as well as the city itself. Counties include Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and now Nassau.
The samples tested positive for the polio virus that can cause paralysis in people, according to state health officials. Officials say unvaccinated people who live, work, attend school or visit Orange, Rockland, Nassau, New York City and Sullivan are at the highest risk of contracting polio.
New York began sewage monitoring after an unvaccinated adult contracted polio in Rockland County in July and developed polio, the first known infection in the US in nearly a decade.
The declaration of emergency will expand the vaccine administration’s network to include pharmacists, midwives and EMS staff in an effort to raise vaccination rates in areas that have already declined.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett urged unvaccinated people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Individuals and families who are uncertain about their immunization status should contact their health care provider, clinic, or county health department to ensure that they are up to date on their immunizations. me.
“For polio, we can’t roll the dice,” Bassett said. “I urge New Yorkers not to take any risks. Polio vaccination is safe and effective – protecting nearly all people against the disease when the full recommended dose is received. ”
Polio vaccination rates in some New York counties are dangerously low. Vaccination rates are 60% in Rockland, 58% in Orange, 62% in Sullivan and 79% in Nassau. According to the health department, the statewide average polio vaccination rate is about 79%.
Some New Yorkers who have completed their vaccine series should get a once-in-a-lifetime booster shot, health officials said. These include people who may have been in contact with someone infected or thought to be infected with the polio virus or their family members.
Healthcare workers should also get booster shots if they work in areas where polio virus has been detected and they can handle samples or treat patients who may have polio. Health officials said that people who may be exposed to sewage as a result of their work should also consider using boosters.
All children must receive four doses of polio vaccine. The first dose is given between six weeks and two months of age, the second at four months, the third at six months to 18 months, and the fourth at four to six years of age.
Adults who receive only one or two doses should receive the remaining one or two doses. Health officials say it doesn’t matter how long ago the first doses were given.
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