A case of polio has been identified in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County, according to a news release from the New York State Department of Health and the Rockland County Department of Health on Thursday.
The agencies confirmed that the disease was transmitted from a person who received an oral polio vaccine that has not been used in the United States since 2000. Officials believe the virus may be present. origin outside of the United States, where oral vaccines are still used.
No information was immediately available about the patient’s condition.
People who have been vaccinated against polio are at very low risk: People who have received all three shots have close to 100% protection. But those who have not been vaccinated or have not completed their vaccination series should be vaccinated, officials said.
The last case of polio in the United States was identified in 1993, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease was one of the most feared in the country until the 1950s, when the first vaccine was developed.
Beth Cefalu, a county spokeswoman, said data on the number of people vaccinated against polio in Rockland County were not available.
The Ministry of Health says polio is highly contagious. People can spread the disease even if they don’t have symptoms, which can include fatigue, fever, headache, muscle aches, and vomiting. Rarely, cases of polio can lead to paralysis or death.
Oral vaccines are safe and effective and are still used in countries with more limited access to vaccines. However, people who receive the oral vaccine, which contains a weakened version of the virus, can still get rid of the virus. If an attenuated version of the virus circulates in a population with less protection from vaccination, it can “genetically revert to the crippling version,” according to the report. Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
