Castle PartnershipYou may have heard in the news this week about the detection of the Polio virus in London. It appears that the type of polio detected is a derivative of the oral polio vaccine that was phased out in the UK in 2004. Whilst there is evidence of some spread between closely-linked individuals in North and East London, the virus has only been detected in sewage samples and no associated cases have been reported.
Polio (poliomyelitis) is a serious illness caused by a virus called poliovirus. Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age. Polio is very infectious. The infection usually spreads from person to person through contact with the faeces of an infected person. If even a minute amount of stool or droplets from an infected person gets on to another person’s hands, or an object like a toy, which then touches their mouth then they can also become infected. The virus can then travel to the gut (bowel) to cause an infection.
There is a polio vaccination that is offered to all children and is part of the 6-in-1 vaccine given in three doses at ages 8, 12 and 16 weeks old. All three doses are needed to develop a strong immunity to the viruses, including polio, that form part of the vaccine. If your child has not yet had their vaccinations & is due, please contact the surgery and we can look to arrange these for you. If you are uncertain then you check your child’s vaccine status in their Red Book, or by contacting the surgery.
Whilst there are no cases reported locally or outside of London this does highlight the importance of ensuring that vaccinations are up to date.
If you have any queries, then please feel free to call the surgery.