365NEWSX
365NEWSX
Subscribe

Welcome

Polio is spreading in the US for the 1st time in decades. Do you need a booster? - Livescience.com

Polio is spreading in the US for the 1st time in decades. Do you need a booster? - Livescience.com

Polio is spreading in the US for the 1st time in decades. Do you need a booster? - Livescience.com
Sep 19, 2022 2 mins, 25 secs

A case of paralytic polio has been detected in the U.S.

Do people who received all of their polio vaccine doses as children now need a booster?

What should you do if you're uncertain of your vaccination status, or if you know for sure that you have not received the polio vaccine.

For now, health officials' primary concern is vaccinating those who haven't yet completed their polio vaccination series, Schaffner told Live Science.

has only used the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), a shot that's typically injected into the arm or leg and contains a "dead" poliovirus that cannot cause disease, according to the CDC (opens in new tab).

The CDC also offers several "catch-up schedules" (opens in new tab) for children who start their vaccination series late or get delayed between doses.

Adults who have never received a polio vaccine should get three doses of the IPV.

Adults who received only one or two doses in the past should seek additional doses, to reach the recommended three. .

Alternatively, an adult is fully vaccinated if they've gotten four doses of any combination of the IPV and the tOPV, according to the CDC (opens in new tab).

Two doses of the IPV are at least 90% protective against paralytic polio, which can occur when the virus infiltrates the central nervous system and causes weakness or paralysis in the arms, legs or both; this can lead to permanent disability and death.

Three doses are at least 99% protective, according to the CDC.

You may also seek a booster if you're traveling to a country where the risk of polio exposure is "greater." For example, wild poliovirus still circulates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and long-term visitors should get an IPV booster between four weeks and one year prior to traveling there, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (opens in new tab).

So far, only one case of paralytic polio has been detected in the U.S.

And if you're unsure of how many polio vaccine doses you've received, you may also consider getting boosted, he said. .

There are some antibody tests for polio, but these aren't recommended for assessing vaccination status because there's limited access to tests that screen for antibodies against all three types of poliovirus, according to a 2017 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (opens in new tab) published by the CDC.

residents beyond New York, the risk of polio exposure is likely similar to before the outbreak, Schaffner said — that is, negligible.

However, people exposed to the virus in New York could potentially hop on a plane and carry polio to additional places; for that reason, vaccination remains important no matter where you live, he said.

It's also key to note that "while IPV is very good at preventing the most severe potential effects of the disease, people who received the vaccine could still be carriers of polio and could transmit it to others," Dr.

Summarized by 365NEWSX ROBOTS

RECENT NEWS

SUBSCRIBE

Get monthly updates and free resources.

CONNECT WITH US

© Copyright 2024 365NEWSX - All RIGHTS RESERVED