Summer polio case in New York leads health officials to encourage vaccine

    Citing a case of polio in New York state this summer, parents and guardians are being encouraged to make sure children are up-to-date on regularly scheduled immunizations.
    In 1994, North America and South America were certified polio-free, but this July, the first case of polio in the U.S. was reported in New York.
    According to staff at Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, the polio case was not related to travel and was in a person who was unvaccinated against polio.
    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and potentially deadly disease. It is caused by the poliovirus.
    The virus is very contagious and it spreads from person to person through contact with virus particles in the air, on surfaces, in food or water. It can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis. There is no cure for polio.
    Before the invention of the polio vaccine, outbreaks occurred frequently across the United States.
    The most severe polio outbreak was in the 1950s, with around 16,000 children affected by this disease. In 1955, Dr Jonas E. Salk and his colleagues licensed the first polio vaccine, after which cases of polio dropped dramatically.
    It is recommended that children get four doses of polio vaccine at these ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years.
    Most adults in the U.S. were vaccinated for polio as children and are likely to be protected against this virus, said Myra Stoney, SWNPHD director.
    However, if traveling to an area of the world where you may be exposed to polio, talk to your doctor about getting a polio vaccination, Stoney said.
    From 1979 until recently, no cases of polio were reported in the United States except for a few related to travel from other countries, Stoney said.
    The World Health Organization reports that polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988 as a result of the global effort to eradicate the disease. More than 16 million people have been saved from paralysis and 1.5 million childhood deaths have been prevented.
    Questions about polio or any immunizations can be directed to Melissa Propp, RN, Public Health Nurse at 308-345-4223.
    SWNPHD serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins and Red Willow counties.