Coming Round Again?

I well remember, as a UK child of the 1950's, a few of my classmates being afflicted by infections with the poliovirus. Infection with this virus, sometimes causes paralysis/semi-paralysis of the limbs (especially the legs). In rare cases, the virus paralyses the muscles used in breathing which is life-threatening. The iron-lung was invented to keep such patients alive. Things changed dramatically, in 1955, with the creation of the oral Salk vaccine. In the UK, that vaccine's uptake was really high, because most parents feared that their children might become paralysed. The UK switched from using the oral polio vaccine in 2004. Now, 'shots' of an inactivated polio vaccine are routinely given to kids at 8, 12 and 16 weeks, often followed by boosters. A national incident has recently been declared. Routine testing of sewage water in North and East London, suggests that community transmission of poliovirus is occurring in the capital (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/22/polio-uk-public-health-officials-declare-national-incident-over-poliovirus). There are several points to note. The first, is that routine monitoring of sewage waters for bacteria and viruses, is an essential and effective public health development. The second, is that the active poliovirus found might well be from people, treated in other countries, with older forms of the vaccine. The third, is that we really do need to do something about poliovirus vaccine uptake in London. The rate is relatively low, at just over 91%, compared to a countrywide average of 95%. I hope, it doesn't take an increase in paralysed children, to boost vaccine uptake for this virus! General vaccine hesitancy, in the aftermath of the Covid19 pandemic, might be part of the problem.