How Concerned Should Parents Be About Polio? Here’s what experts say.

Polio isn’t usually something that most parents worry about — after all, thanks to vaccines, there hasn’t been a case of polio originating in the United States since 1979, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But after the polio virus was recently found in sewage in New York, it’s understandable that some parents are concerned or have questions, since polio was once considered “one of the most feared diseases in the United States,” according to the CDC.

Here’s what parents need to know about polio and what they can do to protect their children.

How is polio transmitted?

Polio is “an acronym for poliomyelitis, a central nervous system disease caused by infection with the poliovirus,” says Dr. Richard Lloyd, professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, told Yahoo Life.

The highly contagious and potentially life-threatening disease is most commonly transmitted from person to person “via the fecal-oral route,” says Dr. Ashley Lipps, an infectious disease physician at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, told Yahoo Life. as by “ingesting something” – like water or food – “that has been contaminated by feces of an infected person”.

The CDC notes that “if your child puts objects such as toys containing stool or droplets in their mouth, they can become infected.” Also, “changing an infected child’s diaper is a route of transmission,” Lloyd says. Droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze can also spread the disease, according to the CDC.

How dangerous is polio?

Most cases of polio are asymptomatic, while about 1 in 4 people experience flu-like symptoms, such as a sore throat, fever, fatigue, nausea, headache, and abdominal pain, which typically last about two to five days, according to the CDC.

In some cases, however, the virus can cause “serious illnesses,” says Dr. Pedro Piedra, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, told Yahoo Life — namely, when it affects the brain or spinal cord. “A small proportion of people with polio can have devastating neurological complications, such as meningitis and paralysis,” says Lipps. “The paralysis can be permanent and lead to death.” That’s because in severe cases, the virus affects the muscles that help people breathe.

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There’s also a condition called “post-polio syndrome,” Lipps said, in which children who initially appear to fully recover from polio can develop neurological complications, such as muscle weakness or paralysis and joint pain, years or even decades later. More specifically, according to the CDC, these symptoms can appear 15 to 40 years after initial infection. However, unlike polio itself, post-polio syndrome is not contagious.

Why is polio more common in children than adults?

Most cases of polio occur in children under the age of 5. “Historically, poliomyelitis is primarily a childhood disease because children are unprotected and unvaccinated and are more likely to become infected and then develop the serious disease,” explains Lloyd. “For this reason, the United States and WHO have had strong immunization programs for babies for decades, and vaccination was required for school attendance in the United States.”

Polio can occur due to “poor hygiene practices,” Lipps says, as it’s spread through fecal contamination. “Infants and toddlers who aren’t potty trained may facilitate transmission more easily,” she says.

How is polio prevented?

Experts say the widespread use of the polio vaccine made the crucial difference in eliminating polio cases originating in the United States. In the 1940s and 1950s, polio was “one of the most feared diseases,” says Lipps, “causing outbreaks that resulted in large numbers of people becoming permanently disabled.” She points out that by the late 1940s it was estimated 35,000 people a year became disabled due to polio.

“We used to have outbreaks of polio until vaccines were introduced early in infancy,” says Piedra. “The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which became the March of Dimes, was formed to fight polio, which led to the development of two effective vaccines.”

They are the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) – an injection given in the leg or arm depending on the patient’s age – and the oral polio vaccine, although IPV is the only polio vaccine that has been in the US since 2000 United States is administered CDC. (The oral vaccine, which is given as a drop in the mouth, is still used in some other countries.)

“The first vaccine was developed in 1955, and shortly after that, polio cases dropped dramatically,” says Lipps. “Due to extremely successful vaccination efforts, the last case of polio to originate in the United States was in 1979. However, polio still occurs in other countries, and it is possible for travelers to bring polio into the country.”

Similar to COVID-19, “poliovirus can always be brought back to the United States or other countries by people traveling who are infected abroad,” Lloyd says. “That’s probably what happened with polio, which was recently discovered in New York. Until the virus is eliminated worldwide, this risk will not go away.”

How Concerned Should Parents Be About Polio?

Parents who have their children vaccinated shouldn’t worry about their children getting polio, Lloyd says.

Cases of polio in the US are “extremely rare,” Lipps notes. In fact, there is “only one known case of poliomyelitis in the United States today,” Lloyd points out. That’s largely because “a very high percentage of Americans are vaccinated,” he says.

The polio vaccine is given as part of routine childhood immunizations. The series of four doses begins at the age of 2 months, followed by one dose at the age of 4 months, another dose at the age of 6 to 18 months and a booster dose at the age of 4 to 6 years. “Those who are at increased risk for polio include those who have not completed the full vaccination course and people who travel internationally to areas where polio is more common,” Lipps notes.

What can parents do to protect their children?

There is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented with polio vaccination. Lipps points out that the vaccine is highly effective — three doses are 99% to 100% effective against polio, according to the CDC. “This is the most successful vaccine ever developed,” says Lloyd. “Use it.”

Lipps agrees, saying, “The most important thing you can do to protect your children from polio is make sure they are up to date on their immunizations.”

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