All children under 10 in London to be offered polio vaccine booster

London: Health officials are hoping to control the spread of polio after traces of the virus were found in sewerage systems across London.

As per the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that 116 samples of polioviruses had been identified in 19 sewage samples from boroughs in northeast and central London.

As a result, parents of all children aged under 10 in London are being urged to visit their doctor for a targeted inactivated polio vaccine.

UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist Dr Vanessa Saliba said while the risk is low, it is important parents continue to vaccinate their children.

“No cases of polio have been reported and for the majority of the population, who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low,” she said, as per a UKHSA statement.

“But we know the areas in London where the poliovirus is being transmitted have some of the lowest vaccination rates. This is why the virus is spreading in these communities and puts those residents not fully vaccinated at greater risk.”

Polio is a serious infection that can cause paralysis, however, there have been no confirmed paralysis polio cases in the UK since 1984.

In the decades before the UK’s polio vaccination programme, around 8,000 people would develop paralysis every year, according to the National Health Service (NHS).

The overall risk is low thanks to vaccination rates, but parents are still being urged by the NHS and UKHSA to ensure their children’s inoculations are up to date.

This is to ensure protection from paralysis and to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Source: Agencies Polio vaccine booster London Polio vaccine booster London