AP: Polio in US, UK, Israel reveals rare risk from oral vaccine In a stunning turnaround in the decades-long effort to eradicate the virus, authorities in Jerusalem, New York and London have found evidence that polio is spreading there. The original source of the virus? The oral vaccine itself. Scientists have long known about this extremely rare phenomenon. This is why some countries have switched to other polio vaccines. But these accidental infections from oral formula are becoming more glaring as the world moves closer to eradicating the disease and the number of polio cases caused by the wild or circulating virus plummets. (Cheng, 8/21)
Nature: Swarm of polio outbreaks worldwide puts scientists on alert Wild polio virus circulates in only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan — where nine cases had been reported this year through June. But vaccine-derived polio virus periodically appears elsewhere, particularly in Africa and Asia. These cases stem from a widely used oral vaccine that contains live, weakened virus that sometimes mutates into a dangerous form capable of infecting the nervous system. (Ledford, 22/8)
More on the spread of polio — Becker’s Hospital Review: A Timeline Of New York’s Polio Case New York state confirmed the first US case of polio in nearly a decade on July 21 in an unvaccinated man in Rockland County. Health experts have called for vaccinations among the unvaccinated, as some states have rates below 90 percent. The following is a timeline of the initial sewage sample collections to the current ongoing investigation of the case. (Gleeson, 8/22) The Wall Street Journal: Polio shots urged in New York as once-defeated virus lingers Officials in New York are urging pediatricians and parents to tell patients about polio shots as evidence shows the infectious and potentially debilitating polio virus has been present situation since April. (Abbott, 8/22) MSN: Melrose polio survivor urges everyone to get vaccinated after possible spread in New York A local polio survivor is urging everyone to get vaccinated after the nation identified its first case of the virus in nearly a decade last month. “It was painful and I couldn’t do a lot of things,” Patricia Hughes said. The Melrose resident was just five years old when she was diagnosed with polio in 1955. The virus, which can cause paralysis, weakened her muscles – making it difficult to walk. (Chan, 8/22) Axios: Polio and monkeypox left out of Philadelphia sewage surveillance Since polio was detected in sewage samples in New York last month, health officials have traced the virus from sewage systems in two southeastern counties, Rockland and Orange, to New York. But spotting viruses like polio won’t be so easy in Philly. (D’Onofrio, 8/22) Reuters: Fact check-polio not renamed Guillain-Barré syndrome, nor is it a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines Polio virus has not been renamed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and is not a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines. Infection with the polio virus can cause GBS, but cases are rare, one expert told Reuters, while two others went further and said it does not cause GBS. (8/22) This is part of KHN’s Morning Update, a roundup of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
