Slate: Wait, I’ve been vaccinated against polio? The majority of adults in the US are vaccinated against polio, thanks in large part to the fact that most schools have a polio vaccine mandate. But the virus can still find places to spread. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Rockland County has a polio vaccination rate of about 60 percent between the ages of two (the age at which children should have had three doses). That’s well below the national average of nearly 80 percent and the national average of 93 percent. In New York City, 86 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years have had a full course of polio vaccination. (Doctor-Loeb, 8/12)
CBS News: Did I get the polio vaccine? How to Know if You’re Protected from the Virus To double-check what immunizations you’ve received, the CDC suggests asking parents or caregivers, locating old documents from your childhood, or even asking former schools, doctors, and employers. as they may have kept a record of proof of vaccination. … Most adults do not need the vaccine, as they were probably vaccinated as children. But the CDC says some adults at higher risk for polio — including health care workers who may be exposed to the virus, laboratory workers and people who travel to certain parts of the world where polio occurs — may want to consider vaccination. And of course, unvaccinated adults are considered high risk. (O’Kane, 8/12)
BuzzFeed News: Polio Is In New York, So Now People Are Texting Their Parents Asking If They’re Vaccinated As if we didn’t already have enough to deal with, the announcement on Friday that the virus that causes the potentially deadly disease polio was found in sewage of New York have sent many people scrambling to find out if they have been vaccinated. And that meant a lot of texting to moms. (Skinner, 8/12)
San Francisco Chronicle: Polio threat almost non-existent for vaccinated people in Bay Area Despite concern over a case of polio detected in New York state in July, Bay Area infectious disease experts say the risk to the vaccinated public is almost non-existent — although the fact that any cases that have occurred underscores the need to make sure that people, especially children, have been given shots. (DiFeliciantonio, 8/13)
More on the spread of polio — Los Angeles Times: US polio outbreak sparks alarms from New York to California Delays in vaccinating children during the COVID-19 pandemic and general anti-vaccination sentiment may be fueling the worst polio threat in the US in years, causing alarm from New York to California. (Lin II and Money, 8/13) AP: What you need to know about the spread of polio in New York, US children are still routinely vaccinated against polio, and the vaccines are considered highly effective. Federal officials recommend four doses: given at 2 months of age; 4 months? at 6 to 18 months; and at 4 to 6 years of age. Some states require only three doses. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 93% of children aged 2 years had received at least three doses of polio vaccine. (8/12) Financial Times: Polio virus re-emerges in rich economies, exposing gaps in immunization Its re-emergence in Europe and the US, along with the disruption of vaccination programs — from the Covid-19 pandemic and from war in places like Ukraine and Afghanistan — have caused public health officials to sound the alarm. “There has been a huge decline worldwide in routine vaccination coverage as countries have been involved in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. If you scratch the surface, it shows the vulnerability of countries’ immunization systems,” said Siddhartha Datta, the World Health Organization’s regional adviser on vaccine-preventable diseases in the European region. (Smythand Gilbert, 8/14) This is part of KHN’s Morning Update, a roundup of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
