Polio

Parents of children who are not up to date with their polio vaccine course are urged to make an appointment with their GP as soon as possible, but the UKHSA ...

But coverage of the teenage booster shot, given at age 14, has fallen further due to school closures during the covid pandemic, and in London it was 71 per cent last year, although it has now risen to 78 per cent. Since 2004, the UK has used an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which provides strong protection against the disease polio, but less protection against circulation of the virus – something that would not normally be an issue in a country where it is eradicated. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has declared a national incident after discovering the virus that causes polio in the UK for the first time in nearly 40 years.

It is the first time in almost 40 years that transmission of the virus has been detected in the UK.

The virus is shed in faeces and can be spread to others in close contact. It has since mutated and the cases have been found to be “genetically linked”. They can also spread - less frequently - through coughs and sneezes. The vast majority of people recover. Parents were urged to ensure that their children had received the polio vaccine. It is the first time in almost 40 years that transmission of the virus has been detected in the UK

VDPV is a strain of the weakened poliovirus, that was initially included in the oral polio vaccine, which has changed over time and behaves more like the “wild” or naturally-occurring virus. This ...

The polio vaccine is given on the NHS when a child is eight, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine. However, this drops to just under 90% in London. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In one in 100 to one in 1,000 infections, the polio virus attacks the nerves in the spine and base of the brain. The UKHSA stressed that the virus has only been detected in sewage samples and no cases of paralysis have been reported. Previously, the virus has been picked up when a person vaccinated overseas with the live oral polio vaccine (OPV) returned or travelled to the UK and briefly shed traces of the vaccine-like poliovirus in their faeces.

Investigation underway to protect public, who are urged to ensure polio vaccines are up to date, especially parents of young children who may have missed an ...

However, vaccine coverage for childhood vaccines has decreased nationally and especially in parts of London over the past few years, so UKHSA is urging people to check they are up to date with their vaccines. Vaccine-derived poliovirus has the potential to spread, particularly in communities where vaccine uptake is lower. The virus has only been detected in sewage samples and no associated cases of paralysis have been reported – but investigations will aim to establish if any community transmission is occurring.

It had been eradicated in the UK in 2003. People are now being urged to ensure their polio vaccines are up to date.

The polio vaccine is given on the NHS when a child is eight, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine. It can cause paralysis in rare cases and can be life-threatening, so the emergence of an outbreak in the capital has caused concern. However, this drops to just under 90% in London. In one in 100 to one in 1,000 infections, the polio virus attacks the nerves in the spine and base of the brain. The UK stopped using live oral polio vaccine (OPV) in 2004 and switched to inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Previously, the virus has been picked up when a person vaccinated overseas with the live oral polio vaccine (OPV) returned or travelled to the UK and briefly shed traces of the vaccine-like poliovirus in their faeces.

The agency is asking the public to check they are up to date on their polio vaccines, particularly caregivers of children who may have missed a vaccination.

There is also one child paralyzed by the disease in Afghanistan, he said. Vaccine-derived polio occurs if the weakened live virus in oral polio vaccines — which does not cause polio in the recipient, and is shed by vaccinated kids through their digestive system — circulates in under-vaccinated communities long enough for it to mutate into a version that is like wild polio, regaining the ability to paralyze. The goal, said the WHO's Jafari, is to stop the circulation of wild polio globally by the end of 2023.

It's been nearly 40 years since the UK detected it's last outbreak of poliovirus, an infection feared for its ability to leave patients paralysed and ...

The last case of wild polio contracted in the UK was confirmed in 1984 and the UK was declared free of the virus in 2003. Boosters are offered at the age of three and 14. Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with polio, because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two remaining countries in the world where polio is still classified as endemic. Coughing and sneezing, though less common, is another route of transmission. This vaccine generates gut immunity and for several weeks after vaccination, people can shed the vaccine-virus in their faeces.

The virus most likely originated from a person who was vaccinated with a live form of the virus overseas, according to the U.K.'s Health Security Agency, ...

Countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia, some of which had previously eradicated the disease, reported cases of vaccine-derived polio in the past year, and experts are working to update the live oral vaccine to reduce the risk of transmission. “The finding of vaccine-derived poliovirus in sewage proves the point.” “Although we are an island, we are not isolated from the rest of the world, which means diseases could be brought in from abroad,” Elliman said. The live oral polio vaccine is still used in some parts of the world, which uses a weakened, but living form of the virus. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also been monitoring Covid-19 levels through wastewater during the pandemic. While polio was widely eradicated in many countries around the world due to a successful global vaccination drive, vaccine-derived polio is on the rise.

Health officials say parents should ensure their children have been vaccinated against the disease.

An inactivated polio vaccine is used in the UK as part of the routine childhood programme. In a very small number of cases, thought to be between one in 100 and one in 1,000, the polio virus attacks the nerves in the spine and base of the brain. No actual cases of polio have been detected and there have been no reports of rare but serious symptoms in the UK. A tiny number of samples of the polio virus are detected each year in sewage surveillance, but this is the first time that a cluster of genetically-linked samples has been found repeatedly over a period of months. Over the past four months, the UKHSA has found the polio virus in samples collected from the Beckton sewage works, which serves a population of four million in north and east London. The virus that causes polio has been detected in a concerning number of sewage samples in London, health officials have said.

No cases of polio have been identified so far, but health officials urged those who were not fully immunized to seek vaccines immediately.

The virus thrives in the gut and emerges in the feces of infected people. Until it is eradicated worldwide the risk of importation and spread in the U.K. and elsewhere will continue,” said Nicholas Grassly, a vaccine epidemiologist at Imperial College London. In up to 1 percent of patients, the virus can infect the spine and cause paralysis. British officials are now collecting additional samples and trying to identify the source of the virus. The last four samples collected appear to have evolved from this initial introduction, likely in unvaccinated children. Before the introduction of the polio vaccine, epidemics were common in Britain, with up to 8,000 cases of paralysis reported every year.

The UK has declared a national incident after detecting poliovirus samples in sewage, as health authorities said the disease may be spreading between ...

Explainer: traces in London sewage have led to concern that virus that causes disease could gain foothold in areas with low vaccination rates.

The concern is that the vaccine-derived poliovirus could gain a foothold in areas where polio vaccination rates are low. An oral polio vaccine is used in countries that are in the process of eradicating the disease. This suggests there may be a limited spread of the virus in the area. The UK and many other countries used to use this, but switched in 2004 to an inactivated polio vaccine, which is injected and contains a dead poliovirus that cannot replicate in the body. In a small fraction of cases, between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000, the virus damages nerves in the spine and base of the brain. The UK’s last natural polio infection was in 1984 and the country was declared polio-free in 2003.

News originally published on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative website. The Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) has confirmed the isolation of type ...

It is important that all countries, in particular those with a high volume of travel and contact with polio-affected countries and areas, strengthen surveillance in order to rapidly detect any new virus importation and to facilitate a rapid response. Any form of poliovirus anywhere is a threat to children everywhere. It is important to note that the virus has been isolated from environmental samples only – no associated cases of paralysis have been detected.

U.K. health authorities have said they are urgently investigating a rare polio virus outbreak in sewage samples in London.

"In populations with low vaccine uptake it is possible that the live polio vaccine can spread from one person to another. It is common practice in the U.K. for children to receive an inactivated polio vaccine as part of their routine vaccination program; with three shots given before the age of one and another shot given at ages three and 14. Polio is a rare virus that can occasionally cause serious illness, such as paralysis, in people who are not fully vaccinated. On occasion, it can attack muscles used for breathing, which can be fatal. Generally, those who do become infected with polio display no symptoms, though some can develop a flu-like illness up to three weeks later. A number of waste samples from the Beckton sewage treatment works in Newham, east London tested positive for vaccine-derived polio virus between February and May, the U.K. Health Security Agency said Wednesday.

Scientists in Britain have detected multiple versions of the virus in wastewater. Officials say the risk to the public is extremely low and urge people to ...

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It's been nearly 40 years since the UK detected it's last outbreak of poliovirus, an infection feared for its ability to leave patients paralysed and ...

The last case of wild polio contracted in the UK was confirmed in 1984 and the UK was declared free of the virus in 2003. Boosters are offered at the age of three and 14. Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with polio, because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two remaining countries in the world where polio is still classified as endemic. Coughing and sneezing, though less common, is another route of transmission. This vaccine generates gut immunity and for several weeks after vaccination, people can shed the vaccine-virus in their faeces.

i examines the facts after the headlines with a run-down of some of today's main news stories.

Barcelona is considering limiting the number of cruise ships that can dock in the city, as protesters call for restrictions. Vaccines with a “live” but weakened version of the virus are not used in the UK anymore, but are more commonly used in developing countries. Polio vaccine coverage in the UK has fallen slightly in the last five years, from a peak in 2013 to 92.6 per cent in 2020/21 for children aged one. Somalia needs a “massive” and immediate scaling-up of funds and humanitarian relief to save it from famine, aid workers have warned. The Taliban in Afghanistan is appealing for international support after 1,000 people were killed in a devastating 6.1 magnitude earthquake. GPs are also being asked to ensure children on their books have had their full polio vaccine, are also being placed on high alert for patients with unexplained paralysis and other symptoms of a disease. The National Audit Office has accused Ofgem of allowing the development of a market that was “vulnerable to large-scale shocks”, leaving consumers “to pick up the costs” in the event of failure. The reason for this is that the virus detected in recent samples is classified as a ‘vaccine-derived’ poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2). This is a strain that was initially included in the oral polio vaccine, which behaves more like the “wild” or naturally-occurring virus. The UK uses a shot which can’t be passed into the gut and stools in the same way. Health authorities are working on the theory that a person vaccinated overseas entered the UK in early 2022 and was shedding the virus. It was officially eradicated in the UK in 2003. It can be life-threatening if it paralyses the muscles needed for breathing.

Residents may be concerned to hear the news that traces of the polio virus have been found during a routine sewage inspection in Beckton Sewage works as ...

Polio is one of the diseases that we routinely vaccinate children against and there have been no cases in the UK for many years. We will be working closely with colleagues in Newham’s NHS, as well as early years settings and schools to ensure all children are up to date with their vaccinations. Myself and the Cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Care, Cllr Neil Wilson, are working closely with our Director of Public Health who has advised us that Newham residents should be reassured that the risk of infection is extremely low.

Traces of type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus were detected during routine surveillance of sewage in London.

The National Health Service will begin reaching out to parents of children aged under 5 in the capital who are not up to date with their vaccinations, the government said. “In this instance, the isolates identified between February and June 2022 are genetically related. The U.K. health security agency says it normally detects between one and three “poliovirus isolates per year” in sewage but they are normally one-offs and unrelated to each other. Surveillance, vaccination and investment to— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) #EndPolio🌍 is critical, as the #UK's announcement of environmental #poliosamples identified in London sewage reminds us. So far, the polio virus has only been detected in sewage samples but investigations are underway to establish if any community transmission is occurring. There is no cure, but vaccinations since the 1960s, mostly in childhood, have been a game changer allowing many countries to eradicate wild polio.

David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said, “Vaccine derived poliovirus is now ...

David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said, “Vaccine derived poliovirus is now present in many countries around the world. Kathleen O’Reilly, associate professor in statistics for infectious disease and an expert in polio eradication, said, “These findings suggest that there may be localised spread of poliovirus, most likely within individuals that are not up to date with polio immunisations. Several closely related viruses were found in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works from February to May this year. Most of the UK population will be protected from vaccination in childhood, but in some communities with low vaccine coverage, individuals may remain at risk.” The live oral polio vaccine has not been used in the UK since 2004, when it was replaced with an injectable inactivated polio vaccine. This behaves more like naturally occurring wild polio and can on rare occasions lead to paralysis in people who are unvaccinated.

A national incident has been declared after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found polio in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage ...

However, this drops to just under 90 per cent in London. Lord Kamall stressed: “No-one has got polio and no cases have been identified, what it is is that we have found it in the sewage.” “This is really world-beating in what we are doing here, it is a first and it shows that we are ahead, but one of the issues with being ahead is that we detect things that would not have been detected earlier.”

POLIO has been detected in the UK for the first time since 1984, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has declared a national incident.

You should also get vaccinated even if you've had polio before as it protects against different types of polio. According to the NHS: "You can have a polio vaccination at any point if you've never had one before, even if you're not travelling to a country with a risk of getting polio. How can you be sure you are vaccinated against the disease?

Previously, the virus has been picked up when a person vaccinated overseas with the live oral polio vaccine (OPV) returned or travelled to the UK and briefly ...

“The genetic changes in the virus imply that it has circulated amongst individuals, including possibly those who have been vaccinated with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as has been used for almost 20 years in the UK immunisation programme.” The UKHSA is working on the theory that a person vaccinated abroad with the polio vaccine – possibly in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Nigeria – entered the UK early in 2022 and was shedding the virus. However, the virus in the recent samples has evolved in England and is now classified as a “vaccine-derived” poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2). Separate UKHSA data shows that of the 625,379 Year 10 children in England in the academic year 2020/21, 502,247 had received the teenage booster (80.3%), while 123,132 (19.7%) had not. Previously, the virus has been picked up when a person vaccinated overseas with the live oral polio vaccine (OPV) returned or travelled to the UK and briefly shed traces of the vaccine-like poliovirus in their faeces. The figures were 10.8% in Yorkshire and the Humber, 11.4% in the South East and 12.3% in the East Midlands.

A. Polio clinical and laboratory surveillance · B. Polio vaccination check and offer · Background and interpretation · Polio immunisation coverage.

The UK is committed to global polio eradication and key to achieving this is maintaining high vaccine coverage (>= 95%) in the routine childhood immunisation programme. It is essential to maintain high uptake at the national, regional and local levels in order to reduce the risk of importations (including of vaccine-like poliovirus) leading to transmission in under-vaccinated communities and paralytic presentations occurring. While the UK stopped using OPV in 2004, several countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria have continued to use OPV containing type 2 virus for outbreak control. This has prompted the need to investigate the extent of transmission of this virus in Northeast London. UKHSA National Polio Guidelines outline public health actions for consideration when one or more vaccine-related poliovirus type 2 [Level 2 (C)] are detected in environmental samples. Vaccine-like type 2 poliovirus (PV2) isolates have been found in multiple sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works between February and June 2022.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that waste from sewage treatment works in Beckton, east London tested positive for the polio virus in February, with ...

“I’m afraid there is reason to suggest it spread because this has been picked up now over a period of several months,” he said. Most people who have become infected with polio have no symptoms, but some can develop a “flu-like” illness up to three weeks later. So far the virus has only been detected in sewage samples and no cases of the disease or related symptoms, such as paralysis, have been reported.