 |
| Photo Credit: AP. |
Authorities in New York declared a disaster state of emergency following a deadly polio outbreak that threatens mostly young children. On Friday New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order declaring a state disaster emergency after a fourth New York county detected polio virus in its wastewater, Newsweek reports.
Is Poliovirus in New York City wastewater?
In August the
deadly poliovirus was found in New York City’s sewage, sending fears the virus
may be spreading especially among unvaccinated people, according to a statement
by health officials. The virus disappeared from the U.S. for a decade now but
may be spreading locally around the city, The Associated Press quoted the city
and New York state health departments as saying.
State Health
Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said the detection of poliovirus in New York
City’s wastewater samples is alarming, encouraging people to get vaccinated
against the virus.
In a
statement Friday, New York Department of Health said the executive order will
expand "the network of polio vaccine administrators with the addition of
EMS workers, midwives, and pharmacists" and also authorize medical
providers "to issue non-patient specific standing orders for polio
vaccines," Newsweek reported.
The
emergency order requires polio vaccine administrators to send data to the state
that will help officials
The order
also requires polio vaccine administrators to send data to the state, which the
health department says will help officials "focus vaccination activities
where they are needed most," Newsweek quoted the health department as
saying.
"On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice," New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said in a statement, according to Newsweek. "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," the commissioner added.
In which is poliovirus found in water in New York?
On Thursday the
health department said officials had detected the polio virus in wastewater
from Nassau County following other discoveries in wastewater from Rockland,
Sullivan and Orange counties.
One case of
polio was found in July in Rockland County, making it the first confirmed case
in the country in over 10 years.
"For
every one case of paralytic polio observed, there may be hundreds of other
people infected," the health department warned, according to Newsweek.
"Polio
is a dangerous, debilitating, and life-threatening disease. Spread from
person-to-person, poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, usually from
hands contaminated with the stool of an infected individual. People can spread
the virus even if they do not know they are sick, and asymptomatic spread is a
high concern among health officials," the health department said.
At what age should children receive polio vaccine?
The CDC
recommends that children receive four doses of the polio vaccine including
doses at 2 months old, 4 months old, 6 through 18 months old, and 4 through 6
years old, according to Newsweek.
Infected
persons can spread the virus from person to person for days or weeks and may
not experience any symptoms.
Hundreds of
people in New York may have the virus without knowing about it, officials said.
Polio
vaccines became available in 1955 after the virus caused significant paralysis
in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that a
national vaccination campaign cut the annual number of U.S. cases to less than
100 in the 1960s and fewer than 10 in 1970s, The Associated Press reported.