US Logs First Polio Case Since 2013

JUL 22 2022·Updated JUL 25 2022

Story

Image credit: Getty Images [via CNBC]

The Facts

On Thurs., the New York State Health Department identified a case of polio in an unvaccinated adult male in Rockland County NY. This is the first polio case identified in the US since 2013.
CNBC
The case is identified as a "revertant polio Sabin type 2 virus," meaning it originated in someone who received an oral polio vaccine. It is possible that the virus originated outside the US, where the oral vaccine is still administered, but an investigation into the origin is ongoing.
CNN
Local officials in Rockland County have identified the man as being a member of the county's Orthodox Jewish community. In 2018 and 2019 there was a measles outbreak in the county concentrated amongst people in the same community, whose vaccination rates tend to be lower than the larger population.
nytimes
The polio vaccine was introduced in 1955, and due to high vaccination rates, cases decreased significantly in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Only 175 cases were reported worldwide in 2019, and no cases of polio have originated in the US since 1979.
NPR
The NY health department and the CDC recommend that those unvaccinated against polio receive the vaccine. The highly-infectious virus can cause damage to the spine and muscles that can result in paralysis or meningitis.
NPR
The discovery comes a month after the UK declared a national incident in late June after discovering polio in several sewage samples in London.
CNBC

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This isn't normal, and we don't want to see this. This polio case is another stark warning as to why vaccinations are so important. The polio vaccine is safe and effective and vaccinations are vital to preventing the spread of this debilitating, yet entirely preventable, disease.

guardian

Narrative B

Vaccines are a personal choice, and governments should not be able to mandate what individuals choose to do with their health. If people choose not to get vaccinated for any disease, that is a valid choice that must be accepted. Personal freedoms are part of America's ethos.

Reason Magazine