Debosmita Ghosh • 19 Nov 2024
Poland Calls For Polio Vaccinations In Children After Virus Found In Warsaw Sewage
Polio Vaccinations In Children In Poland After Virus Found In Warsaw Sewage
Photo : iStock
The health authorities of Poland have urged polio vaccinations for children after the virus was detected in Warsaw’s sewage during regular tests this month. The state Main Sanitary Inspectorate in a statement said that the presence of the virus does not necessarily mean people have been sick however, those who have not been vaccinated against the virus might be at risk.
The polio vaccination in Poland is free for people under 19. The authorities have taken measures to reduce the risk of virus spread. New measures also include more intensive testing of Warsaw’s sewage, renewing the vaccination stocks and updating the list of children still unvaccinated, according to a report in U.S. News.
Poland’s inspectorate said that nearly 86% of the country’s 3-year-olds have been vaccinated against polio and that vaccinating at least 95% of children can prevent the spread of the virus. Poland has seen the rise of anti-vaccination movements among some parents which has worried health officials.
Polio is an illness caused by a virus that mainly affects nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem. In its most severe form, polio can lead to a person being unable to move certain limbs, also called paralysis. It can also lead to trouble breathing and sometimes death. The virus can spread when an individual comes in contact with waste from an infected person or less frequently, through contaminated water or food. The polio virus mostly affects children under 5 years of age.
Symptoms Of Polio
There are different types of polio and the symptoms tend to vary depending on the type of the condition.
Abortive polio
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Stomach ache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting.
Nonparalytic polio
- Neck pain or stiffness
- Aches or stiffness in the arms or legs
- Severe headache
- Stiffness of the spine and neck
- Decreased reflexes
- Muscle weakness.
Paralytic polio
- Intense pain
- Extreme sensitivity to touch
- Tingling or pricking sensations
- Muscles spasms or twitching
- Muscle weakness progressing to a limp paralysis
- Depending on the severity of disease, other signs or symptoms may include:
- Paralysis of muscles involved in breathing
- Difficulty swallowing.
Importance of Polio Vaccine
To protect your child from polio, it is important that you get them vaccinated. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that polio vaccination has been a part of routine childhood immunisation schedules. There are different types of polio vaccines, inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). IPV is the only polio vaccine that has been given in the United States since 2000. The OPV is used in other countries.
CDC says that IPV is given by a shot in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age. On the other hand, for OPV, children receive doses of the vaccine by drops in the mouth.
In India, OPV has been used exclusively in India since 1978, however, IPV has been recently added to India’s national immunisation program. OPV is also continued.
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