Polio boosters for London kids

POLIO booster vaccines will be offered to children under 10 in London to prevent the first community outbreak in Britain since the 1970s.

It comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) detected the poliovirus in London’s sewage works and further tests reveal at least one positive sample of the poliovirus currently present in several boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest.

The NHS in London will contact parents when it’s their child’s turn to come forward for a booster or catch-up polio dose, for all children between the ages of one and nine in every London borough.

The programme will start with the areas affected, where the poliovirus has been detected and vaccination rates are low.

This will be followed by rapid rollout across all boroughs.

This booster dose will be in addition to the NHS childhood vaccination catch up campaign across London. Vaccination rates in the capital are well below recommended levels and there is a risk that “under-vaccinated” children can pass the infection to others.

While there have been no confirmed cases, officials sounded the alarm over the rising number of samples found in sewage in London. The level of poliovirus found in recent tests suggests there is some level of virus transmission in these boroughs which may extend to the adjacent areas, the UKHSA has said. This suggests that transmission has gone beyond a close network of a few individuals.

Polio is a serious infection that can cause paralysis, but nationally the overall risk is considered low because most people are protected by vaccination. The last case of polio in the UK was in 1984, but decades ago, before we introduced the polio vaccination programme, around 8000 people would develop paralysis every year.

Another 15 sites in London will start sewage sampling in mid

August, and 10 -15 sites will be stood up nationally to determine if poliovirus is spreading outside of London.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA said: “No cases of polio have been reported and for the majority of the population, who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low.

“But we know the areas in London where the poliovirus is being transmitted have some of the lowest vaccination rates. This is why the virus is spreading in these communities and puts those residents not fully vaccinated at greater risk.

“It is vital parents ensure their children are fully vaccinated for their age. Following JCVI advice all children aged one to nine years in London need to have a dose of polio vaccine now – whether it’s an extra booster dose or just to catch up with their routine vaccinations.

“It will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis. This may also help stop the virus spreading further.”

Jane Clegg, chief nurse for the NHS in London said: “While the majority of Londoners are protected from polio, the NHS will shortly be contacting parents of eligible children aged one to nine years old to offer them a top-up dose to ensure they have maximum protection from the virus. We are already reaching out to parents and carers of children who aren’t up to date with their routine vaccinations, who can book a catch-up appointment with their GP surgery now and for anyone not sure of their child’s vaccination status, they can check their Red Book.”

The areas in London where the polio virus is being transmitted have some of the lowest vaccination rates

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