A resident of Rockland County, New York, has tested positive for polio, according to the state, in what might be one of the first occurrences of the once-feared childhood disease in the United States in decades.
The individual with polio appears to have been infected by someone who had the oral polio vaccination (OPV), which has not been administered in the United States since 2000, according to New York state health officials.
According to the CDC, the last verified case of polio in the United States was in 1979. The latest case brought by a tourist was in 1993. The last time a case of any kind was discovered in this country was in 2013.
According to Rockland County health officials, the virus was discovered on Monday, and the sufferer is an unvaccinated young adult who presented with paralytic symptoms about a month ago and has not traveled abroad. They are monitoring family and close contacts.
The county will offer a polio vaccine clinic at the Pomona Health Complex, 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona, from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, then again on Monday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The CDC advises that children receive four doses of the vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years of age.
