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The first case of polio was detected in Israel since 1989. It affects a four-year-old boy. Neither he nor his parents were vaccinated against this virus. “The boy is in a state of weakness, which can become paralyzed,” informs the local health ministry.
- Poliomyelitis (widespread childhood paralysis or Heine-Medin disease) is an acute infectious disease caused by the polio virus. Vaccination has dramatically reduced the disease worldwide
- In Poland, the last case of poliomyelitis caused by wild-type polio virus occurred in 1984.
- Now the medical services of Israel have informed about the new case. This is the first infection in 33 years. It was detected in an unvaccinated four-year-old
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The first case of polio in Israel in over 30 years
The Israeli Ministry of Health reported the first case of polio in the country since 1989. A child who was diagnosed with the virus was not immunized against polio as part of Israel’s routine immunization program. The source of the infection is a mutant strain of the poliovirus that can cause the disease in unvaccinated people.
“The best way to prevent polio is by following routine vaccination protocols,” reports the local health ministry. – We encourage those who have not yet completed the process to do so as soon as possible – appealed by representatives of the ministry in a press release.
The polio virus was detected in a four-year-old boy from Jerusalem. As the official of the Ministry of Health reported to the local media, “the boy is weakened, this condition may go into paralysis”. Neither the child nor his family have been immunized against polio. According to the ministry officials, the boy may be one of the hundreds or thousands of children who may have been exposed to the mutant strain of polio.
– Society vaccinated against polio is protected – say representatives of the Ministry of Health. – These vaccinations are crucial also for the unvaccinated population, so it is recommended to vaccinate. The most recent case is worrying if only because polio is a completely preventable disease, they add.
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It’s not an epidemic, but you have to get vaccinated
The Jerusalem District Health Bureau began an investigation to establish who the boy had been contacting and to talk to each of them. After that, official guidance will be given on how to proceed.
Dr. Ian Miskin, an infectious disease expert at Clalit Health Services in Jerusalem, said that it is extremely rare for children to become infected with polio following administration of an attenuated (live microbial) vaccine against the virus, but they do exist. such documented cases in the world.
- Read also: Polio – a forgotten disease with an epidemic in the background. The discovery of the Pole saved millions
– The latest case does not mean that there is an outbreak of polio in Israel. Rather, we need to vaccinate the population better. Live attenuated poliovirus vaccine is the best way to prevent disease. Anyone who has received the basic vaccine and booster doses has no reason to worry, Miskin said.
Israel reminds you of vaccinations
In 2013, traces of the polio virus were detected in sewage systems throughout Israel, but no diagnoses related to this were made, according to The Times of Israel. However, Israeli health officials have launched a massive vaccination campaign among children under the age of 9.
- Also read: Ukraine suspends polio vaccination. Doctors warn against the effects
Now, after polio is detected in a four-year-old, the Israeli Ministry of Health has updated its immunization recommendations. Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, MZ’s director of public health, said parents in and around Jerusalem should vaccinate their babies with the first dose at 6 weeks and the second at 12 weeks of age.
“At the moment we are focusing on getting all children, mainly in the Jerusalem district, as vaccinated as possible,” she said. She noted the ministry’s recommendation that all four doses of the polio vaccine should be given before the child’s first birthday.
Polio coming back?
Recently, there are more and more cases of polio around the world. In February, a three-year-old girl in Malawi was reported to have been paralyzed by infection. The virus has been linked to a strain found in Pakistan, where the disease is still endemic. The virus is endemic in Afghanistan as well.
- Also check: Ukraine: first case of polio in six years. The parents did not vaccinate the child
In October The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has informed about the paralysis of a XNUMX-and-a-half-year-old child caused by the polio virus. The first symptoms of polio were observed in the child on September 1, and two days later the patient was hospitalized with symptoms of paralysis of the lower limbs. The Ministry of Health emphasized that in Ukraine, the level of polio vaccination among children up to the age of one was insufficient at that time.
It was the first case of polio in the country since 2015.
Polio – what is this disease?
Polio is a rare disease that in the XNUMXth century posed an epidemic threat to countries around the world, including Poland. Thanks to the invention of the vaccine, polio no longer occurs in most regions of the world. However, common vaccinations are still practiced as there is a risk of infection with wild-type polio virus. The disease is also known, among others under the name of poliomyelitis i Heine-Medin disease.
The infection occurs mainly through direct contact with an infected person and with contaminated objects, as well as eating contaminated food or as a result of non-compliance with the rules of hygiene. It is also possible to spread the infection by airborne droplets.
- Find out more: Vaccination against polio – types, effectiveness, side effects
Often the disease is caused by the polio virus without causing any symptoms. If they do occur, in many cases they are limited to digestive system ailments, fever and headache. Sometimes meningitis is also seen. The most the characteristic and associated symptoms of polio are associated with the paralytic form of the diseasewhich developed in 1-2 percent. sick. It contributes to the paralysis of the muscles and, consequently, can lead to paresis, motor disability, paralysis or respiratory failure.
The polio vaccine
Prevention and protection of the general public from polio relies on the vaccine. Two types of vaccines are used – variant BTI (Salk inactivated vaccine) and OPV (Sabina live vaccine). In Poland, since 2016, vaccination against polio is performed only with IPV – this is it compulsory vaccine.
The poliomyelitis vaccine contains inactivated (killed) polioviruses. It is administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Intervals between doses of vaccine should be 6-8 weeks.
Four doses of the vaccine are recommended for full protection of your baby. According to the preventive vaccination schedule, three doses of primary vaccination are administered at 3-4, 5-6 and 16-18. month of life. A booster dose is given at the age of 6.
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