New York finds poliovirus samples in 5 counties, sparking state of emergency


New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has declared a state of emergency in response to rising concerns over poliovirus. Hochul made the declaration on Friday after state health officials found virus samples in 5 counties — Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County, New York City, and most recently, Nassau County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found poliovirus samples in Nassau County through "sequence analysis of wastewater surveillance," CNN reports.
Officials traced the sample from Nassau County back to a case pinpointed in Rockland County on Long Island. This sample has provided evidence to support the risk of potential community spread. All of the samples have been deemed "samples of concern" as they are types of poliovirus that put people at risk of paralysis. In response to the potential dangers of a polio outbreak, state health officials have released an executive order to increase the accessibility of resources to protect against possible infection. The order will include expanding the network of polio vaccine administrators, per CNN.
Additionally, Hochul's executive order will require health care providers to submit their polio immunization data to the state health department to help determine where vaccination efforts are most needed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett warned the public about the risks of facing polio unvaccinated. Basset said, "If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up to date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real," as noted by Reuters.
She urged the public not to wait to get vaccinated against polio.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Can TrumpRx really lower drug prices?
Today’s Big Question Pfizer’s deal with Trump sent drugmaker stocks higher
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the right
Speed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
‘Nightmare bacteria’ are rapidly spreading
Under the radar The infections are largely resistant to antibiotics
-
Private equity firms might be causing more deaths in hospital ERs
The Explainer Deaths in ERs purchased by private equity firms rose 13%
-
Why are autism rates increasing?
The Explainer Medical experts condemn Trump administration’s claim that paracetamol during pregnancy is linked to rising rates of neurodevelopmental disorder in US and UK
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shot
Speed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Quit-smoking ads are being put out
Under the radar The dissolution of a government-funded campaign could lead to more smokers in the future
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreak
Speed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada