The Polio Outbreak and What We Should Do

Owing to massive polio vaccination campaigns worldwide, polio cases have dropped by 99% since the 1980s. But now, evidence of polio outbreaks is showing up in the wastewater of developed cities. 
 
Polio can be a disabling and life-threatening disease, a highly infectious viral disease mainly affecting children under five. The virus spreads from person to person and can affect the nervous system, causing severe symptoms such as meningitis or paralysis. The primary transmission mode is through the faecal-oral route and through contaminated food and water in unsanitary conditions. As a precaution, we all need to practice good hand hygiene and wash our hands with soap and water. 
 
The treatment options for polio are scarce; therefore, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the disease. The polio vaccine prepares our bodies to fight the poliovirus. The polio vaccine is available to us, and we should ensure we are protected against polio. As adults, we should ensure that we are boosted with the Polio vaccine. Almost all children (99%) who get all the recommended doses of the polio vaccine will be protected from polio.
​