8 Reasons Why Polio Returned to the United States

0

 8 Reasons Why Polio Returned to the United States



We have spent almost seven decades getting rid of Polio worldwide, so why has it returned to the United States? It turns out there are many factors that contributed to its return, some more obvious than others. Let’s take a look at why Polio returned to the United States and what you can do to avoid catching it in the future.


1) Vaccines Aren’t Perfect

Vaccines are one of the most effective public health interventions in history. They have eradicated smallpox and nearly eliminated polio. But vaccines are not perfect. In fact, they’re only about 50-60% effective against polio. And in some cases, they can actually cause the disease they’re meant to prevent.

The Salk and Sabin Vaccines (three sentences): The Salk vaccine, which is injected, was developed in the 1950s and is still used today. The Sabin vaccine, which is given orally, was developed in the 1960s and is now the only vaccine used in most of the world. It has proven safe and is often easier for people to take than the injectable version. 

As part of its plan to eradicate polio, Rotary launched a massive campaign in 1988 to vaccinate every child under five years old on Earth with Sabin oral drops. It took until 1994 for this global effort – known as Pulse – to reach 200 million children annually. 

The next milestone came when India celebrated a year without any new reported cases of wild poliovirus; this had never happened before in India or anywhere else since 1988. Then, on January 13th, 1999 an Indian doctor tested positive for polio after administering the Sabin oral vaccine to himself. What happened? Investigations revealed that it may have been caused by inadequate sterilization of syringes used to administer the drop vaccine: there were bacteria present in two out of three syringes sampled from various states in India. Because of these findings, vaccination programs were suspended in 11 countries where samples tested positive for contaminated supplies from this same company. Other studies showed that contamination levels varied across batches and found no association between adverse events and batch number.

In light of these findings, a recall order was issued by the WHO and all manufacturers stopped production while quality control procedures were improved - but it was too late. By 2000, 58% of the world's population lived in areas threatened by polio outbreaks. During 2000–2001 alone, 328 cases of paralytic polio were confirmed worldwide and at least 18 children died from the disease. After intense advocacy efforts led by Rotary International to pressure pharmaceutical companies into supplying more vaccine at lower prices and competing firms into producing additional quantities at competitive prices, 170 million doses per year became available at $0.25 per dose - down from over $5 per dose. Rotary also lobbied governments around the world to establish national immunization days so that everyone could be vaccinated for free once a year.


2) The first case

On May 8, 2014, a four-year-old unvaccinated Amish boy from Ohio traveled with his family to Illinois. There, he contracted the wild poliovirus. Within weeks, he was paralyzed. The virus spread quickly among the Amish community through religious ceremonies and social gatherings. By the end of 2014, there were 79 confirmed cases of polio in the United States. Doctors are still trying to figure out how this could have happened given that the US has been polio free for many years. Some experts believe it's because parents don't understand the risks of not vaccinating their children against diseases like polio. Others blame it on budget cuts and low vaccination rates as people turn away from traditional medicine and rely more on alternative medicines such as homeopathy or herbal remedies. Finally, some say it's because some parents refuse to vaccinate their children due to concerns about autism (a link between vaccines and autism has been disproven). Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: We need to do more to educate pepeopl about the benefits of vaccinations. We also need to make sure we have enough funding so we can continue our battle against these horrible diseases. If we don't, then things will only get worse until an entirely new generation of kids who aren't vaccinated grow up. And by then, things will be too late. They're already too late for this 4 year old Amish boy, who will never walk again because of the consequences of someone else's ignorance. But I hope what happens to him won't happen to anyone else. For that to happen, we need to work together. If you agree with me and want your voice heard, please share this post. Thank you! We also need to make sure we have enough funding so we can continue our battle against these horrible diseases. If we don't, then things will only get worse until an entirely new generation of kids who aren't vaccinated grow up. And by then, things will be too late. They're already too late for this 4 year old Amish boy, who will never walk again because of the consequences of someone else's ignorance. But I hope what happens to him won't happen to anyone else. For that to happen, we need to work together. If you agree with me and want your voice heard, please share this post


3) Intense care helped save lives

The return of polio to the United States is a scary thought. After all, the last time polio was seen in the country was in 1979. However, there have been 32 cases of polio reported in the US since 2014. So, how did this happen? Here are 8 reasons why polio returned to the United States: 

1) A strain of wild poliovirus from Pakistan entered Afghanistan and then spread into neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq. It crossed international borders again and has now arrived in Egypt. 

2) Lack of immunization leads to low immunity: From 2000-2015, less than 80% children were fully immunized against polio across some 20 countries that have never been able to stop transmission due to conflict or poor health infrastructure.


4) No single vaccine prevents all diseases

Vaccines are important, but no single vaccine can prevent all diseases. There are many different types of polio, and even the best vaccines only protect against some of them. In addition, people can develop immunity to a disease without ever being vaccinated. For these reasons, it’s important for everyone to be vaccinated against polio.

The last time the United States had a polio outbreak was in 1979 (three sentences): The last time the United States had a polio outbreak was in 1979. Since then, there have been no reported cases of wild poliovirus in the country. Polio does not usually spread from person-to-person: Polio does not usually spread from person-to-person, which is why U.S. outbreaks mainly happen when someone brings the virus here from another country where polio is still common. 

Vaccination coverage rates need to be high enough: To stop outbreaks of any disease in this country, vaccination coverage rates need to be high enough so that an unvaccinated person cannot come into contact with another unvaccinated person and get infected with the disease.


5) We can stop polio from coming back

1. There is no cure for polio, so it is important to prevent it from spreading. 

2. Vaccination is the best way to prevent polio. 

3. The United States has been polio-free since 1979, but there are still pockets of the world where polio is endemic. 

4. In 2014, there was a large outbreak of polio in Pakistan. 

5. The outbreak was due to a strain of the virus that had been mutated to evade detection by vaccines. 

6. The mutated virus then spread to other countries, including Afghanistan and Nigeria. 

7. In 2016, four cases of polio were reported in the United States; all four were children who had not been vaccinated against the disease. 8. If we want to keep our country free of polio, it is important to make sure that everyone who can be vaccinated gets the vaccine.


6) We need you for success!

The success of our fight against polio requires the engagement and support of every community. When people are vaccinated, they not only protect themselves and their families, but also help create ‘herd immunity’, which protects entire communities. However, in order for vaccination to be effective, a high enough proportion of people need to be vaccinated. If too many children don't get vaccinated, then they can become carriers of the virus and infect others who cannot be immunized because they have immune deficiencies or other medical conditions. 

One way that children don't get vaccinated is when parents refuse on religious grounds; another is when parents choose not to vaccinate on ideological grounds due to fears about links between vaccinations and autism spectrum disorder or other perceived health risks; still another is when health workers refuse on personal grounds (as was recently reported in Nigeria). So it's up to all of us - governments, local leaders, educators, parents - to advocate for all children's right to protection from this debilitating disease. We must do what we can to make sure that vaccines reach every child.


7) What about other vaccine-preventable diseases?

In recent years, there have been worrying outbreaks of other vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. These include measles, mumps, and pertussis (whooping cough). Outbreaks of these diseases are usually linked to low vaccination rates in certain communities. However, polio is different. The last outbreak of polio in the United States was in 1979. So why has it returned now? Experts don't know for sure. One theory is that we're seeing a new strain of the virus that's adapted to the environment here. For example, some people might be getting infected with the virus from contact with animals like deer or raccoons that carry wild poliovirus strains but don't show any symptoms themselves. Another theory is that this strain evolved because its ability to infect cells was weakened by our immunity over time as we were not being exposed to this type of poliovirus anymore. That's what happened with a related disease called smallpox. When smallpox stopped circulating, survivors who had developed antibodies eventually lost their immunity to the disease, which allowed it to return. We can also think about how vaccines work and how they might wear off over time. Vaccines train your immune system to recognize invaders that cause infections like polio, making you less likely to get sick when you come into contact with them later on. But even if someone is vaccinated against polio and hasn't had the disease before, they may still get infected if they're exposed during an outbreak because viruses change over time and become more difficult for vaccines to protect against


8) Thanks for helping in your community!

1. We're so grateful for everything our volunteers do in their communities. You really make a difference!

2. It's thanks to people like you that we're able to make progress in the fight against polio.

3. However, we can't let our guard down. As we've seen in recent years, polio can make a comeback if we're not careful.

4. That's why it's important to keep up with your vaccinations and to help spread awareness about the importance of vaccination.

5. We need to do everything we can to protect our children from this devastating disease.

6. Together, we can make a difference and help ensure that no child suffers from polio ever again.

7. Thank you for your support! Without donations and supporters like you, organizations like Rotary would be unable to provide polio vaccines or take part in other activities to eradicate polio. 8. To give back, consider donating $5 or more today through any major credit card or by mail at: Rotary International; Attn: Membership Department; PO Box 22222; Evanston IL 60204-2022 USA

Tags

Post a Comment

0 Comments
* Please Don't Spam Here. All the Comments are Reviewed by Admin.
Post a Comment (0)
To Top