What to Know
- More than 5,000 polio vaccines have been administered in Rockland County since the confirmed case of polio was detected in a local resident earlier this summer, according to county officials.
- New York began wastewater surveillance after an unvaccinated adult caught polio in Rockland County in July and suffered from paralysis, the first known infection in the U.S. in nearly a decade, and has subsequently been working to boost vaccination.
- Poliovirus has now been detected in sewage samples from four counties in the New York metro area as well as in the city itself. The counties are Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and the latest, Nassau.
More than 5,000 polio vaccines have been administered in Rockland County since the confirmed case of polio was detected in a local resident earlier this summer, according to county officials.
New York began wastewater surveillance after an unvaccinated adult caught polio in Rockland County in July and suffered from paralysis, the first known infection in the U.S. in nearly a decade, and has subsequently been working to boost vaccination.
The age breakdown of the 5,064 polio vaccinations is:
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| 0 to 4 | 77.2% |
| 5 to 18 | 13.8% |
| 19 to 64 | 5.0% |
| 65 and up | 4.0% |
The single paralytic case in Rockland originated overseas from an individual who received the oral polio vaccine, with the NYSDOH saying that the case is linked to strains in wastewater samples found in Israel as the UK as far back as this past winter. Additionally, it is important to note that the oral polio vaccine form that was received by this individual has not been used in the U.S. since 2000.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency over polio to boost vaccination rates in the state amid further evidence that the virus is spreading in communities.
News
Poliovirus has now been detected in sewage samples from four counties in the New York metro area as well as in the city itself. The counties are Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and the latest, Nassau.
The samples tested positive for poliovirus that can cause paralysis in humans, according to state health officials. Unvaccinated individuals who live, work, go to school or visit Orange, Rockland, Nassau, New York City and Sullivan are at the highest risk of paralytic disease, officials said.
New York began wastewater surveillance after an unvaccinated adult caught polio in Rockland County in July and suffered from paralysis, the first known infection in the U.S. 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 slipped.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day will be hosting a Facebook live on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to discuss the latest updates on polio efforts in Rockland County.
The Inactivated Polio Vaccine is administered in the U.S. It is safe and effective and will not cause polio, Rockland County officials stress. Vaccines are given in Pomona on Mondays and Wednesdays. Appointments can be scheduled by clicking here or calling the Rockland County Department of Health at 845-238-1956.
