Next RCDOH Polio Vaccine Clinic Aug. 24th (Details Below)
New City, NY – As of Wednesday, 2,152 polio vaccines have been administered in Rockland since a confirmed case of Polio was detected in a local resident, signaling work by Rockland County Department of Health (RCDOH), New York State Health Department (NYSDOH) and CDC to boost vaccinations is working.
Those who are fully immunized are at low risk and the focus remains getting those unvaccinated or behind on their 4-dose polio vaccine series up to date with the vaccination, particularly infants and preschool-aged children, because transmission of this disease only happens if overall vaccination rates remain low.
RCDOH is hosting its next vaccine clinic Wednesday August 24 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center located at 110 Bethune Blvd. in Spring Valley. Appointments are recommended but not necessary.
You can also schedule to receive the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) at our Health Department clinic in Pomona on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment which can be done by clicking here. Anyone who needs assistance scheduling an appointment can call RCDOH at 845-238-1956.
As decision making for vaccinating preschoolers rests solely with families, RCDOH is having ongoing conversations with local health providers, which families trust, to boost immunizations.
Rockland County is working closely with state and federal health agencies to ascertain specific information on wastewater samples and vaccination rates so we can direct County resources where needed.
RCDOH has distributed over 5,000 copies of flyers in four different languages to Houses of Worship, Doctor’s Offices, Grocery Stores, Summer Camps, and other public gathering areas.
As reported by the New York State Department of Health on 8/12/22, wastewater sampling conducted identified 6 positive samples of polio in New York City in June and July not genetically linked to the case in Rockland County, signaling this is a larger regional issue across New York.
The single case in our County was transmitted from an individual who received the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which hasn’t been administered in the U.S. since 2000, indicating the virus originated in a location outside of the country where OPV is still administered.
NYSDOH confirms Rockland County’s polio case is linked to strains in wastewater samples found in Israel and the UK. Wastewater samples in the UK have tested positive for polio as far back as February.
As the investigation into the NYC, Orange & Rockland samples continues, we implore families to act and get vaccinated.
