US polio vaccine coverage SHORT than the 95% threshold believed necessary to control an outbreak –

The United States is among more than 100 countries that do not meet recommended vaccination thresholds to control a potential polio epidemic, leaving America vulnerable to a devastating disease outbreak.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 92.6% of US children were vaccinated against polio by their second birthday, which is below the World Health Organization (WHO) 95% threshold.

The virus, which can cause paralysis in some patients, has stopped in all countries of the world except Pakistan and Afghanistan. WHO warns that it will continue to be a worldwide threat as long as it circulates in these countries.

That threat came this week when the UK was placed on high alert after traces of an infection were found in the country’s sewers suggesting at least an active infection.

WHO collects data on the number of annuals targeted against polio.

The WHO says countries with low prevalence of polio vaccine are “particularly vulnerable”.

Like the United States, the United Kingdom does not meet vaccination standards and the vaccination rate is only 93%.

Only 46 countries that provided data to WHO met the recommended 95% target, including Australia, China and Japan.

However, the absorption is less than half of the required level in some countries.

Only 41% of annuals in Papua New Guinea are vaccinated against polio, and rates are only slightly better in the Central African Republic (46%), Somalia (47%) and Guinea (50%).

Polio can be a difficult disease to detect, as the vast majority of cases will not show the devastating symptoms that have become synonymous with it.

Many infections are mild or asymptomatic. However, about one percent will lead to paralysis or even death.

Children are believed to be most at risk for the disease, although it can also affect adults.

The United States has been polio-free for nearly three decades. The last case discovered on US soil dates back to 1993, when someone entered the country with the virus.

No cases have occurred in the United States since 1979, it has been 44 years since an infection transmitted from the United States occurred.

A clear change from previous decades when the virus was prevalent. The CDC reported that at one point it disabled 35,000 Americans a year.

Notable cases include former US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose polio infection paralyzed him with garbage.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the current leader of the Republican minority, also suffered a case of polio at a young age that paralyzed his leg. He has now fully recovered.

In 1955, the first polio vaccine was introduced, marking the end of the virus’s devastating reign in the United States.

Health officials recommend that all infants receive four doses of the vaccine: one at two months of age, then at four months of age, between six and 18 months of age, followed by a final injection between the ages of four and six.

There are occasional cases of polio in countries where the virus is not normally found.

Last year, Israeli authorities discovered a case of the virus in an unvaccinated three-year-old girl. This was the first case of the virus in the country since 1988.

The virus is also occasionally detected during wastewater monitoring in some developed countries. However, the high vaccine coverage combined with the generally mild nature of the virus prevents its spread.

It is spread mainly through contact with contaminated food or water, usually through contamination with feces.

If a person consumes water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, they will likely become contaminated as well.

It has been announced that modern water treatment techniques have also significantly reduced the spread of the virus, especially in developed countries.

It is usually tested with a blood or stool sample. There is no cure for the disease, but treatments are available that can limit the long-term effects of symptoms if the patient survives.

The “iron lung”, a mechanical respirator that helps people breathe after their muscles are paralyzed, has become an iconic symbol of the mid-century polio epidemic as it was the last breath to help some with severe cases survive a devastating situation. .

How long does the polio vaccine take? What are the symptoms of the virus? How many people have been infected in the UK? Everything you need to know amid fears of the spread of the paralyzing virus

Isn’t polio eradicated?

There are three versions of wild polio: type one, two and three.

Type two was eradicated in 1999, and no type three cases have been identified since November 2012 when it appeared in Nigeria.

Both species have been confirmed as globally exterminated.

But the first type still circulates in two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan.

These versions of polio are nearly extinct due to vaccines.

But the global spread has spawned new strains known as vaccine-derived polio viruses.

These are strains that were originally used in live vaccines but have entered the community and have evolved to behave more like the wild version.

How many people has it infected?

The heads of health have yet to discover any real cases.

Instead, they only saw the virus in sewage samples.

However, they said several closely related polioviruses were found in sewage samples taken in north and east London between February and May.

This indicates a “possible” spread among mated individuals who are currently losing strain in their feces.

The UK Health Safety Agency is investigating community transmission.

It is hoped that cases will be limited to a single family unit or extended family.

How is it spread?

It is spread between people through contact with food, water, or objects contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

Places with high populations, poor sanitation, and many diarrheal-like illnesses are particularly at risk of seeing the spread of polio.

Unvaccinated people are at high risk of contracting an infection.

There is some concern that the virus appears to be spreading in London, which has a lower prevalence of polio vaccine than the rest of the country.

How is poliomyelitis diagnosed?

Doctors can recognize polio based on its symptoms.

If a person is in the first week of illness, a throat swab or stool or blood sample may be taken up to four weeks after symptoms begin.

The sample is then sent to a laboratory with tests confirming the presence of the virus.

What does national accident mean?

UKHSA guidelines state when a vaccine-derived polio virus is detected in the UK.

This forces health leaders to create a national response to manage and coordinate the response.

It includes membership of local public health teams.

While instances of polio have only been seen in London, health officials say it’s vital to make sure other parts of the country are aware and take steps to protect people in their areas.

How is polio treated?

There is no cure for polio, but vaccines can prevent it.

Treatment can only relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of long-term problems.

Mild cases, which are the majority, usually pass with pain medication and rest.

However, in severe cases, it may be necessary to be connected to machines to facilitate breathing and assisted with regular stretches and exercises on hospitalization to prevent long-term muscle and joint problems.

In the 1920s, the iron lung – a respirator resembling a “chest on legs” – was used to treat polio.

It was first used in that decade to save an infected child who needed respiratory assistance.

Paul Alexander, 76, from Texas, is still in the car 70 years after he contracted polio in 1952 at the age of six.

I missed a vaccine as a child, can I still get it?

Health leaders have encouraged anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated against polio to contact their primary care doctor for a catch-up.

However, they warned that vaccination efforts in London would target parents under the age of five who have or have not had their vaccinations, for fear of spreading to the capital.

The NHS currently offers the polio vaccine as part of a child’s routine immunization schedule. The polio vaccine is part of a six-in-one vaccine given to children eight, 12, and 16 weeks old.