Health officials in Poland have urged polio vaccination for children after the virus was detected in Warsaw’s sewage during routine testing this month. The state’s Chief Sanitary Inspectorate said in a statement that the presence of the virus does not mean that people have become ill, however, people who have not been vaccinated against the virus could be at risk.

polio vaccination Free for people under 19 in Poland. Authorities have taken measures to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. According to a US News report, the new measures include more intensive testing of Warsaw’s sewage, renewing vaccination stocks and updating the list of children still unvaccinated.

Poland’s inspectorate said about 86% of the country’s 3-year-old children have been vaccinated against polio and that vaccinating at least 95% of children could prevent the spread of the virus. Poland has seen a rise in anti-vaccination movements among some parents, which is worrying health officials.

Polio is a disease caused by a virus that mainly affects the nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem. In its most severe form, polio can cause a person to be unable to move certain limbs, also known as paralysis. This can cause difficulty in breathing and sometimes even death. The virus can spread when a person comes in contact with an infected person’s waste or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food. Polio virus mostly affects children under 5 years of age.

symptoms of polio

There are different types of polio and symptoms vary depending on the type of condition.

abortion polio

• Fever
• Headache
• muscle pain
• sore throat
• stomach pain
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomit.

nonparalytic polio

• neck pain or stiffness
• pain or stiffness in arms or legs
• severe headache
• stiffness in the spine and neck
• decreased alertness
• muscle weakness.

paralytic polio

• severe pain
• extreme sensitivity to touch
• tingling or pricking sensation
• muscle spasm or twitching
• Muscle weakness turns into limping paralysis
• Depending on the severity of the 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says polio vaccination has been a part of the routine childhood vaccination program. There are different types of polio vaccines, inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). IPV is the only polio vaccine offered in the United States since 2000. OPV is used in other countries.

The CDC says IPV is given by a shot in the leg or arm, depending on the age of the patient. On the other hand, for OPV, the vaccine dose is given by drops in the mouth to children.

In India, OPV has been used exclusively since 1978, however, IPV has recently been added to India’s national immunization schedule. OPV is also continuing.

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