Governor Hochul declares State of Emergency for Polio

ALBANY, NY- The office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a State of Emergency over rising reports of polio-virus being found in sewage samples near New York City.

The declaration has been issued to ramp up vaccinations, including expanding the list of qualified professionals to administer doses, like pharmacists and EMS workers.

In July, it’s reported that a case of polio was confirmed in Rockland County, the first one here in the U.S. in nearly a decade.

In response, health officials began examining the sewage water county wide and began finding more samples of the virus, which can cause paralysis and mainly impacts children the worst under the age of 5, according to the CDC.

Within the past month, another virus sewage sample was uncovered in Long Island.

The Rockland County case involved a young, unvaccinated adult, who suffered symptoms of paralysis, but the CDC clarifies that only 1 in four people will develop flu-like symptoms and only about 1 in 200 will suffer from paralysis.

Polio outbreaks became very common here in the U.S. after the mid-1940’s, but decreased dramatically into the 1970’s thanks to the polio vaccine.

CDC says those most at risk for polio infection are those who have never had any of the recommended vaccine doses. 

Image courtesy via the CDC.