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Hochul declares polio emergency

Sep 09, 2022 2:09 pm

Nolan Hicks and Zach Williams report in the New York Post that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an emergency expansion of the state’s polio vaccination efforts on Sept. 9 after more of the deadly virus was found in Long Island wastewater. “On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” said the state’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, in a statement. “If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real.... Polio immunization is safe and effective – protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the recommended doses. Do not wait to vaccinate.” Hochul's order allows pharmacists, paramedics, and midwives to dispense the vaccine, now. Polio was effectively eliminated in the United States in the 1970s following decades of aggressive vaccination. Now, though, only 79 percent of New Yorkers are vaccinated for polio. Read the full story in the New York Post.