ALBANY, N.Y. — New York declared a state of emergency on Friday to boost vaccinations against polio.
Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order expanding the state’s network of vaccine administrators to EMS workers, midwives and pharmacists as evidence mounts that the once rare virus is spreading in the state.
Only one case of paralytic polio has been recorded in Rockland County so far, but wastewater samples from across the city and surrounding suburbs suggests the pathogen is circulating across the region.
“On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement. “If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real. I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all.
“Polio immunization is safe and effective – protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the recommended doses,” she added.
Hochul’s order allows EMS workers, midwives and pharmacists to vaccinate people against the disease and also authorizes physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue non-patient specific standing orders for vaccines.
Health care providers will also be required to send polio immunization data to the state Department of Health to help authorities better track areas where vaccination efforts are most needed.
In a tweet, the governor said the state is “making it easier for New Yorkers to get their polio vaccine if they haven’t already received it,” but made no mention of the executive order.
“(The Health Department) is ramping up its vaccination efforts and EMTs, midwives, and pharmacists are now able to provide the vaccine,” she added.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said officials will continue to monitor the situation.
“I don’t want to alarm anybody, there are no cases of polio that has been discovered here in this region or in Nassau County,” Blakeman said. “Nobody should panic, there is no crisis right now, there is no active case of polio in Nassau County.”
Health officials have been monitoring sewage samples across the state in recent months and the virus has been detected in Rockland, Orange, and Sullivan Counties as well as within the five boroughs.
Much like samples collected in the city, the wastewater sample collected in August from Nassau is genetically linked to the case of paralytic polio identified in Rockland County, further evidence of likely community spread.
That has prompted a renewed push to ensure New Yorkers are vaccinated against the debilitating disease, which was practically eradicated from the U.S. in the late 1970s thanks to widespread immunizations.
Statewide, about 79% of New Yorkers are vaccinated against polio. That number drops dramatically in certain counties, including Orange, Rockland and upstate Yates, where less than 60% of the population is vaccinated against the disease, according to state health officials.
Before the unvaccinated Rockland resident fell ill, the U.S. had gone almost a decade without recording a single case of polio.
Officials in New York, which is already under health-related states of emergency for COVID-19 and monkeypox, fear that polio is already spreading at a high rate since most who get it can be asymptomatic.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70% of those infected experience no symptoms. About 25% experience mild or flu-like symptoms that could be mistaken for a number of other illnesses and about 1 in 100 develop severe disease, including permanent paralysis.
“Do not wait to vaccinate,” Bassett said. “If you are unsure of you or your families’ vaccination status, contact a healthcare provider, clinic, or local county health department to make sure you and your loved ones receive all recommended doses.”
