The U.S. is now among the many countries confirmed to have circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). Authorities are urging people to get immunized to stop the “debilitating” disease.
The confirmation comes amid the detection of polioviruses in Latest York, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted in a statement Tuesday. In line with the agency, the case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County, in addition to the detection of the virus in wastewater in several other counties, suggests continued transmission.
These two aspects also meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) criteria for cVDPV. Which means the U.S. is now on the list of about 30 countries with cVDPV.
Because the agency explained, vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV) is a strain related to the weakened version of the virus that is within the oral polio vaccine.
The vaccine itself is secure and has been “instrumental to eradicating wild polio viruses.” The issue comes when not enough people in a community are vaccinated against polio, as this then allows the transmission of the weakened virus among the many un- or under-immunized population, the CDC said. If it circulates for an extended enough time, the virus may return to a version that may cause illness or paralysis.
“It is vital to notice that cVDPVs should not attributable to a baby receiving the polio vaccine,” the CDC stressed. “Oral polio vaccine has not been used or licensed within the U.S. since 2000 but continues to be utilized in some countries.”
In reality, the U.S. has only been using the injected inactivated poliovirus vaccine since 2000, which might protect against “any” poliovirus type, including VDPV. Furthermore, the few cases of VDPV within the country logged since 2000 were amongst individuals who were either unvaccinated or had weakened immune systems.
Given the present situation, authorities are urging people to get vaccinated against polio.
“Polio vaccination is the safest and best strategy to fight this debilitating disease and it’s imperative that individuals in these communities who’re unvaccinated stand up to this point on polio vaccination straight away,” Dr. José R. Romero, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said within the agency’s statement. “We cannot emphasize enough that polio is a dangerous disease for which there isn’t any cure.”
As of the announcement, no other polio cases have been identified. Governor Kathy Hochul of Latest York has also issued an executive order declaring a State Disaster Emergency to extend resource availability to guard Latest Yorkers against polio.
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice. For those who or your child are unvaccinated or not up to this point with vaccinations, the chance of paralytic disease is real,” Dr. Mary T. Bassett, Latest York state’s health commissioner, said in a press release. “I urge Latest Yorkers to not accept any risk in any respect. Polio immunization is secure and effective — protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the advisable doses.”
“There are global recommendations for countries with cVDPV2 outbreaks to guard people from polio, and the US is taking all appropriate actions to stop latest cases of paralysis,” the CDC said.