After the polio virus was discovered 116 times in London’s sewers since February, UK health authorities are now urging their children to be vaccinated against it. Specifically, nearly a million children in Greater London between the ages of one and nine will receive such protection – those who have already been vaccinated should also receive a refresher.
All parents and guardians will be contacted by their GP in the coming month, the BBC reported on Wednesday. Polio was considered eradicated in Britain after Europe was declared polio-free in 2003.
Spread by live vaccine?
The spread that has now been proven may be due to a vaccine used in other countries around the world – this oral drug, while considered safe, uses the live virus. In this way one confers a strong immunity, but can be transmitted from person to person in areas where the vaccination coverage is not high enough.
Mutations already detected
Such an outbreak could be problematic, as such a spread could allow the virus to mutate, bypass the protection of the vaccines developed so far and thereby cause paralysis again. In most cases, the samples discovered so far are the safe form of the vaccine – but “a few” would already carry mutations that pose a potential danger.
According to health authorities, the genetic analysis indicates that the spread of the virus has so far “crossed a narrow network of a few people”.
Children receive a proven vaccine
It is now critical that parents ensure their children are fully vaccinated, epidemiologist Vanessa Saliba told the BBC. The children are offered the inactivated vaccine, which contains a “dead” virus and therefore poses no risk of spreading. This form of polio vaccine has been used in the UK since 2004.
The samples found in London’s sewers are linked to those previously found in Jerusalem, Israel and upstate New York, where a young adult became paralyzed. However, Health Minister Steve Barclay stressed that the virus has not yet been detected in anyone in London – the risk to the general population is therefore still “low”.
disease with dangerous consequences
Polio starts as a stomach infection, which is why it can be detected in sewage. Between one in 100 and one in 1,000 people will develop paralysis after an illness, with most cases occurring in young children.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
