Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York declared a disaster emergency in the state after traces of the polio virus were found in wastewater on Long Island.
The emergency order will expand vaccination efforts in the state, allowing pharmacists, midwives, and EMS workers to administer the polio vaccine and require healthcare providers to report polio immunization data to the state, as officials try to hone in on vulnerable areas to control the virus from spreading.
NEW YORK CITY DETECTS TRACES OF POLIO IN WASTEWATER
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. “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.”
The declaration from Hochul came after officials in Nassau County reported that recent wastewater surveillance testing turned up a positive trace of the polio virus. In addition to Nassau County, wastewater samples collected from Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County, and New York City have also found traces of the polio virus that can cause paralysis in humans.
The state began testing wastewater after a person in Rockland County caught the virus in July. It is the first known case of polio in the United States since 2013.
State officials have urged those who are unvaccinated to get their polio vaccine series. People who receive all recommended doses of the polio vaccine are 99-100% protected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Polio is a highly contagious and life-threatening disease and typically spreads from person to person or through contaminated water. Polio was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 after an aggressive inoculation campaign, meaning that the virus no longer routinely spreads in the U.S.
Children are recommended to get four doses of the polio vaccine, starting with the first dose at 6 months of age and the last completed between 4 and 6 years old.
