ALBANY, N.Y. — A State Disaster Emergency was declared Friday for polio. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order making the declaration.
The order aims to increase the availability of resources to protect New Yorkers against polio. It expands the network of polio vaccine administrators to EMS workers, midwives, and pharmacists and authorizes physicians and certified nurse practitioners.
Health care providers will also be required to send polio immunization data to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) through the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS).
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said in a statement. “If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real. I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all.
"Polio immunization is safe and effective – protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the recommended doses. Do not wait to vaccinate. If you are unsure of you or your families’ vaccination status, contact a health care provider, clinic, or local county health department to make sure you and your loved ones receive all recommended doses.”
Evidence of spread from a of paralytic polio previously identified in Rockland County has been found in wastewater surveillance.
A polio vaccine is required by NYSDOH for all school-aged children.
People who are already vaccinated are considered low risk. Unvaccinated people who live, work or have traveled to Rockland County, Orange County, New York City, Sullivan County, and Nassau County are at the highest risk of exposure.
NYSDOH is urging all New Yorkers to check their vaccination status. Unvaccinated children 2 months and older, those who are pregnant, and people who have not completed the polio vaccine series are advised to get vaccinated right away.
Polio is a serious and life-threatening disease that is very contagious. People who get the virus may not show symptoms immediately and can still spread it while asymptomatic. Polio can cause paralysis or death.