More evidence of polio has been detected in New York City wastewater, according to the state health officials.
Of the 63 samples, 37 were collected in Rockland County, 16 in Orange County, eight in Sullivan County, one in Nassau County, and one in New York City from Brooklyn "and a small, adjacent part of Queens County."A polio vaccine box is displayed at a health clinic in Brooklyn, New York on August 17, 2022.State health officials said most adults do not need the polio vaccine or a booster because they were already fully vaccinated as children.
However, they have stressed the importance of getting vaccinated against or staying up to date with the immunization schedule. Among unvaccinated people, polio can lead to permanent paralysis in the arms and/or legs and even death. "These findings put an alarming exclamation point on what we have already observed: unvaccinated people are at a real and unnecessary risk" State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett and City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in aThe statement continued, "But these latest results are a searing reminder that there is no time to waste, especially for young children, who must be brought up to date with vaccinations right away. Paralysis changes life forever.