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Richmond, Va. (WWBT) – The Richmond-Henrico Health District says the risk of polio spreading here in Central Virginia is not high. They have received no new guidance from the CDC about current vaccination recommendations.
The CDC says testing of wastewater in New York leads them to believe polio is spreading in parts of the state. So far, there is only one confirmed case in New York.
Polio was eradicated from the US in 1979. This issue raised some concerns in the health community.
However, RHHD requires people to vaccinate their children against the virus. Adults who have not yet received the vaccine should also be vaccinated.
Children should take the first dose at 2 months of age and the last dose between 4 and 6 years of age. In some cases, fully vaccinated adults should receive a polio vaccination booster, especially if they travel internationally or work in health care.
“The idea is that the more people you vaccinate, the fewer hosts there are if you have the virus and then want it to spread to another person,” said Kat Long with the Richmond-Henrico Health District.
The health district says the vaccine is 99-100 percent effective. He also pointed out that the spread of an extinct disease like polio in the society is a warning sign to continue your vaccination.
“It’s an example of what can happen if we don’t get enough vaccinations from our population,” Amy Popovich said. She works as a nurse administrator at RHHD.
If polio comes to Central Virginia, local health departments will take guidance from the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health on new measures.
“Hospital systems, doctors’ offices, other medical providers are required to notify local and state health departments so we can quickly identify polio outbreaks in Virginia,” Long said.
You can check the vaccination online Virginia Department of Health Immunization Database.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. all rights reserved.
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