I am sure, by now, that you heard that there is a polio case (where the subject is paralyzed) in upstate New York (Rockland County).  That’s because a slew of religious Jews (known often as Charedi) have been snookered into believing that vaccinations are dangerous.  It’s also why only some 60% of their children have been inoculated against polio.   (One would think their devotion to learning and knowledge would prevent such stupidity from taking hold in their population.)

It’s also why wastewater detection of poliovirus is rampant in Orange and Rockland County.  The polio vaccination rate in these two counties is at least 20% below the rest of the state.  This lack of vaccination exists despite that polio vaccines have been around for nearly 70 years and we officially thought we eradicated its occurrence in the USA.   The new polio occurrence first case recorded since 2013; moreover, no wild cases of polio had been reported here since 1979.  (We should note that for every case of reported polio presence, hundreds of other folks may already be infected.)

This version of polio is genetically linked to samples identified in Israel and Britain.  Let us not forget that Jerusalem also suffered an outbreak- an unvaccinated 3 y old became paralyzed in February, and that case was clearly identified as polio.  (The last polio case in Israel prior to this was in 1988.)  Subsequently, 8 more kids tested positive for polio- thankfully asymptomatically.  The Israeli Health department began leaning on parents to get their kids vaccinated; by July, the outbreak was controlled.

Until recently, we Americans thought that polio only was an issue in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Malawi, and Mozambique.  (18 cases have been reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan this year; one each in Malawi and Mozambique- both of which were linked to infections emanating from Pakistan.)

Note that public schools have requirements that all children be vaccinated against polio as a prerequisite to attend school.  (Yeshivot- Jewish religious institutions- lack that universal requirement. )  The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) stipulates children need to receive four doses of the vaccine- the first at 2 months of age, 2 months later for the next dose, the third administered to kids between 6 and 18 months of age, with the final dose administered when the child is between 4 and 6 y old.

Here’s another wrinkle.  Many of these orthodox Jews work in Manhattan.  So, they have the capability to bring a polio epidemic all over the city of New York.  And, as of last Friday, polio virus has been found in Manhattan wastewater!

You might also recall these counties were the locales for the renewed outbreak of COVID-19.  Because they refused to be inoculated against SARS-CoV-2.

Please folks- make sure you- and your kids are vaccinated!

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