Polio virus has now been detected in sewage 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 humans, according to state health officials. Unvaccinated people who live, work, go to school or visit Orange, Rockland, Nassau, New York and Sullivan are at the highest risk for polio, officials said.
New York began monitoring wastewater after an unvaccinated adult contracted polio in Rockland County in July and suffered paralysis, the first known infection in the US in nearly a decade.
The emergency declaration will expand the network of vaccine administrators to include pharmacists, midwives and EMS workers in an effort to boost the immunization rate in areas where it has fallen.
The New York State Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, urged people who have not been vaccinated to get the vaccine immediately. Individuals and families who are unsure of their immunization status should contact a health care provider, clinic or county health department to make sure they are up to date on their vaccines.
“In polio, we just can’t roll the dice,” Bassett said. “I urge New Yorkers to accept no risk. The polio vaccine is safe and effective – protecting nearly all people from disease when they receive the recommended doses.”
The polio vaccination rate is dangerously low in some New York counties. The vaccination rate is 60% in Rockland, 58% in Orange, 62% in Sullivan and 79% in Nassau, according to the health department. The national average for polio vaccination is about 79%.
The aim of the vaccination campaign is to boost vaccination rates well above 90% across the territory, according to the Ministry of Health.
Some New Yorkers who have completed their vaccine series will need to receive a single booster shot for life, health officials said. These people include people who may have had contact with someone who is infected or believed to be infected with polio virus or members of their household.
Health care workers should also receive a booster if they work in areas where polio virus has been detected and may handle specimens or treat patients who may have polio. People who may be exposed to sewage through their work should also consider getting a booster, health officials said.
All children should receive four doses of the polio vaccine. The first dose is given between six weeks and two months, the second dose is given at four months, the third dose at six months to 18 months and the fourth dose at four to six years of age.
Adults who have received only one or two doses should take the remaining one or two. Health officials said it doesn’t matter how long ago the first doses were given.
Polio is spread between people when the virus enters the mouth, usually through hands contaminated with the feces of an infected person. The virus often spreads undetected because 70% of infected people show no symptoms. About 25% of those infected experience mild flu-like symptoms.
One in 100 people infected develops a serious illness, such as permanent paralysis. Polio is fatal in 2% to 10% of people who are paralyzed because the muscles used for breathing are immobilized.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.
