United States Confirmed as Country with Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus
The United States now joins a list of about 30 other countries
CDC today announced that polioviruses found in New York, both from the case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County and in several wastewater samples from communities near the patient’s residence, meet the World Health Organization (WHO)’s criteria for circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV)—meaning that poliovirus continues to be transmitted in Rockland County, NY, and surrounding areas.
CDC is working closely with WHO, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and other international public health partner organizations. As previously reported
The United States now joins a list of about 30 other countries
“Polio vaccination is the safest and best way to fight this debilitating disease and it is imperative that people in these communities who are unvaccinated get up to date on polio vaccination right away,” said Dr. José R. Romero, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We cannot emphasize enough that polio is a dangerous disease for which there is no cure.”
It’s important to note that no additional cases of polio have been reported in the United States at this time, and today’s update does not impact the current CDC recommendations for polio vaccination for children or adults.
CDC continues to support New York State Department of Health’s investigation through ongoing testing of wastewater to better understand the possible spread of the virus and through supporting vaccination efforts in the affected communities. Last week, the New York State Governor issued an Executive Order
- This press release was originally published on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website