Polio threat virtually nonexistent to vaccinated people in Bay Area - San Francisco Chronicle

The polio virus, as depicted in an illustration, has been found in New York City’s wastewater.

Despite concern over a case of polio being found in New York state in July, Bay Area infectious disease experts say the risk to the vaccinated public is virtually nonexistent — although the fact that any case at all popped up underscores the need to make sure people, particularly children, have had their shots.

He said that in the larger scheme, cases being detected elsewhere aren’t a worry because of very high vaccination rates in the U.S.

The New York Times reported that one case of polio was confirmed in a 20-year-old man in Rockland County who is part of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Health experts and officials are alarmed about this latest detection of the virus because about 1 in every 200 cases of polio results in paralysis, said Dr.

It’s especially worrisome that the virus has been detected in New York City wastewater, which means it’s circulating there, Swartzberg said.

While the newer mRNA vaccine technology used in COVID-19 vaccines has given some vaccine skeptics pause, Chin-Hong said the polio vaccine has proved safe and effective for decades.

has spread to other vaccines.” And although California has a strong mandate for children to be vaccinated against polio to attend school, some homeschooled students may have lagged in getting their shots, Chin-Hong said.

“If you’re full vaccinated, the vaccine works so well that you don’t need to worry no matter what age you are,” Swartzberg said