Polio May Be Spreading in Britain for First Time in 40 Years…

MAIL ONLINE: Officials have found traces of a vaccine-derived poliovirus in sewage samples in North and East London / Thought that someone vaccinated with live vaccine shed part of virus and spread it to unvaccinated people / Parents are being urged to ensure their children's vaccinations are up to date, particularly after the pandemic / Officials said risk to public 'extremely low' with one in 100 chance of paralysis and high vaccine uptake

Polio may be spreading in the UK for the first time in nearly 40 years, health chiefs warned today as they declared a 'national incident'.

Officials have found traces of a vaccine-derived version of the virus in sewage samples in parts of London and say it is 'likely' transmitting within the community.

Parents are being urged to ensure their children are up to date with their polio vaccinations, particularly after the pandemic when school immunisation schemes were disrupted.

Polio spreads through coughs and sneezes or contact with objects contaminated with faeces, causing permanent paralysis in around one in 100 cases. Children are at a higher risk. » | Connor Boyd, deputy health editor for MailOnline | Wednesday, June 22, 2022