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.
-
Spiralism is the new cult AI users are falling intoUnder the radar Technology is taking a turn
-
Can for-profit geoengineering put a pause on climate change?In the Spotlight Stardust Solutions wants to dim the sun. Scientists are worried.
-
Crossword: November 25, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
This flu season could be worse than usualIn the spotlight A new subvariant is infecting several countries
-
More adults are dying before the age of 65Under the radar The phenomenon is more pronounced in Black and low-income populations
-
Scientists have developed a broad-spectrum snake bite antivenomUnder the radar It works on some of the most dangerous species
-
How medical imposters are ruining health studiesUnder the Radar Automated bots and ‘lying’ individuals ‘threaten’ patient safety and integrity of research
-
Doctors sound the alarm about insurance company ‘downcoding’The Explainer ‘It’s blatantly disrespectful,’ one doctor said
-
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 rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
‘Nightmare bacteria’ are rapidly spreadingUnder the radar The infections are largely resistant to antibiotics
