New York recently declared a state of emergency over evidence that polio is spreading in communities.
Polio is highly contagious and can lead to paralysis and death.
The seriousness of the polio outbreak (in the U.S. and elsewhere) cannot be overstated. High vaccine coverage is crucial.
Canada has not had a case of polio in more than 25 years, and the polio vaccine is part of every child’s standard immunizations.
Well-known Ottawa physician Nili Kaplan-Myrth said it’s alarming to see the resurgence of polio, “something that should never have happened,” but added that Canadians still have a robust level of vaccination...
It went from notions of medical harm to children to what David Broniatowski of George Washington University calls the “don’t-tell-me-what-to-do freedom movement.”
“Vaccines are not about politics,” stated Kaplan-Myrth. “They’re about saving lives.”