US Added To WHO List Of Countries With Circulating Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses - CDC

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2022) The United States has met the criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for countries with circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement.

"CDC today announced that polioviruses found in New York, both from the case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County and in several wastewater samples from communities near the patient's residence, meet the World Health Organization (WHO)'s criteria for circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) - meaning that poliovirus continues to be transmitted in Rockland County, NY, and surrounding areas," the statement said on Tuesday.

By meeting the WHO criteria, the United States has now joined the list of about 30 countries where the poliovirus has been identified, the statement said.

The CDC has said it views vaccination as the best way to stay safe from the poliovirus, adding that non-vaccinated individuals should set up an appointment to get their shot.

CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Director Jose Romero emphasized the importance of vaccination given that no cure exists for polio.

"We cannot emphasize enough that polio is a dangerous disease for which there is no cure," Romero said in the statement.