the resurgence of polio worries many doctors

Poliomyelitis, called polio, seemed eradicated. However, it reappeared in the sewage of North London (United Kingdom), during the summer of 2022. In the United States, a 20-year-old young man, not vaccinated, was contaminated and is today partially paralyzed . “If we have a case of paralysis, it may be a very unlucky person who is an isolated case. But, most likely, we are dealing with hundreds of thousands of cases“, says the Dr Adam Ratner, pediatrician at New York University (USA).

The polio virus attacks the nervous system and can cause permanent disability. An oral vaccine is given to children in the form of drops, in developing countries. In the United Kingdom, the authorities have launched a vaccination campaign for children under 10 years old. “There are many children who do not have a complete vaccination schedule, so it is a fear to see polio spreading in the population”says Dr Natalie Rout, a doctor at the national health service in London (United Kingdom).

In France, the vaccine administered is made from an inactivated virus and is injected intramuscularly. More than 99% of infants are vaccinated.