Rockland County Offers Travelers Free Polio Boosters

Polio return to New York likely in 2023
Polio outbreaks March 2023
WHO/GPEI polio and poliovirus cases March 14, 2023
Rockland County (Precision Vaccinations News)

Just as New Yorkers are finalizing their Spring Break plans, Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced he is urging residents planning to visit countries where poliovirus is found to get a polio booster shot.

According to Rockland County's March 17, 2023, press release, these countries include Israel, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and several other African countries.

Recently, Israel's Ministry of Health confirmed four children had tested positive for poliovirus after one unvaccinated child presented symptoms of paralysis. Israel has additionally reported widespread detection of poliovirus in wastewater systems in 2023.

On February 2, 2023, the World Health Organization confirmed the spread of poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The Rockland County Department of Health offers free polio booster clinics at the Robert Yeager Health Center, 50 Sanatorium Road, Building A, in Pomona, New York. These clinics are only for those who have completed their polio vaccination series.

  • Friday, March 24, from 9:00 am-11:00 am
  • Friday, April 14, from 9:00 am-11:00 am
  • Friday, April 28, from 9:00 am-11:00 am

If you or a family member have never been vaccinated against polio or have not completed the polio vaccination series, call the Rockland County Department of Health at 845-364-2520 or 845-364-2524 to make an appointment at our Immunization Clinic.

"The only protection from this dangerous disease is immunization," commented County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

"Unfortunately, because of worldwide travel and low vaccination rates, polio may likely be seen in our area again this year."

"Now is the time to protect yourself and your family from polio and other vaccine-preventable infectious diseases,"

Polio is a virus that spreads from person to person through infected feces (which can be microscopic) that enter the body through the mouth. Polio can also be spread through contact with contaminated bodies of water.

Respiratory transmission and oral to oral transmission through saliva may also account for some cases.

Per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, adults who completed the polio vaccine series as children and are planning to travel to countries with increased risk of polio may receive a one-time booster dose of the IPV polio vaccine.

For more information about travel to areas where polio is common, visit Vax-Before-Travel.com/PolioOutbreaks.

Our Trust Standards: Medical Advisory Committee

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