United States: New York City triggers state of emergency to fight polio

The authorities hope to increase the rate of vaccination against this disease which notably causes paralysis in humans. The State of New York decides to act against polio. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency against poliomyelitis on Friday, with a view to increasing vaccination rates, as the virus continues to spread across the country, according to US television network CNBC. within certain communities. Still according to the chain, the virus was detected in samples of wastewater, within four counties in the New York area, and in the city itself. Poliomyelitis, which can cause paralysis in humans, has been causing concern for the authorities for several weeks now. A first case in July An unvaccinated adult had caught the disease in July and suffered from paralysis. The first known infection in the United States for almost a decade, which had caused increased surveillance of wastewater. Concretely, with this state of emergency, new actors will be able to administer the vaccine, like pharmacists, wise -women or emergency services. The objective is to increase the vaccination rate as quickly as possible, which is particularly low in certain New York counties, such as Rockland where it is only 60%, or Orange where it does not exceed 58%. New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett called on unvaccinated people to do so as soon as possible. “On polio, we just can’t roll the dice,” said- he declared. “I urge New Yorkers to accept no risk. Polio vaccination is safe and effective – protecting nearly everyone from the disease who receives the recommended doses.” The New York state average for polio vaccination is about 79%, according to the department. of health.