Resurgence of Polio in UK – The Risks….

 

The Polio virus is back – at least in our sewage system. 

Does this mean we’re in for yet another another viral epidemic ?

It could do, if we take no action – how then can we prevent it happening ?

The reasons why polio virus has suddenly started to appear in our sewage system are not completely clear, given that no cases of active disease have been reported in UK so far.

The most prevalent view amongst epidemiologists at present is that it has been imported by vaccinated individuals from areas of the world where vaccination is via the old-style oral attenuated live virus vaccine. This vaccine continues to be used in 3rd world countries because it is a) cheap and easy to administer and b) gives very good immune responses over a short period.

It is the ideal rapid immunisation strategy in the few remaining areas of the world where the live virus is still endemic due to religious antipathy to vaccination (Afghanistan and Pakistan). It is also used as a rapid response tool to tackle local outbreaks in other areas where the virus isn't endemic, but appears as a result of transmission by travelers from the endemic regions.

The problem from our point of view in UK is that the attenuated virus used in the oral vaccine is still ‘live’ and capable of replicating. It can therefore overcome the attenuation process by mutating to new variants which may be able to cause the disease and its associated paralysis. This is the main concern in first world countries where the virus has re-appeared. Only one case of paralysis has been seen (in USA) so far, but the risk is there, particularly if the virus is allowed to proliferate unchecked.

The best way of dealing with this threat, of course, would be to complete the eradication process, as we did for Smallpox in 1980. The chances of this succeeding, however, are slim. Afghanistan is fast becoming a 'rogue' state again under Taliban rule, with even the basics of life in short supply. Pakistan, although perhaps less ungovernable, would also be a difficult 'nut to crack', given its ingrained religious anti-vax traditions. The only defences we have in the rest of the world is elimination of transmission - and vaccination.

Children in UK have been routinely vaccinated against Polio for many years since its eradication here. We use more modern vaccines which don’t involve live virus.

The problem lies with the non-vaccinated, of which there are growing numbers amongst immigrant communities, particularly in some London boroughs. There are a variety of reasons why some parents in these areas don't get their children vaccinated, poverty and religious taboos being the main ones. The DOH has become concerned enough about the risks of an epidemic to offer free vaccinations to all children between 1 and 9 years old, whether or not they have already been vaccinated. This is in order to ‘catch’ as many of the non-vaccinated as possible, and provide immune ‘top-ups’ for the rest.

It is to be hoped this will prevent an epidemic….if not, we may start to see the disease rearing its ugly head again, particularly if immigration from endemic regions is allowed to continue without adequate screening for the virus on entry to UK. 

In the event of a new epidemic, and to protect public health, pressure would need to be applied to those already resident in UK who continued to act irresponsibly by refusing the vaccine for themselves and their children.

Viv

Version Date 12.8.22

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Solar Panels: Are They Right For Me ?

I first published the text of this post on my website. As  a consumer interested in installing solar panels in UK,  I wanted to see what detailed advice was available on how to go about it, but didn't really find anything suitable. I decided to share my experience, as far as it went, in the hope that it would make life a bit easier for anyone else in the same boat.   There is plenty of advice out there on the web, but it seems to be mostly from installers, who will naturally want to extol the benefits of their product, and won't necessarily want to highlight the pitfalls. I've tried to do just that by taking the reader through what is likely to happen if you embark on a quest for solar panels yourself.  I hope it's useful in helping you answer the question in the title...... --------------------------------   Solar Panels: Are They Right For Me ? Despite the relatively slow uptake of domestic micro-generation technology over the past decade, m any of us are now looking
Read more

Labour Declares War On Pensioners by Abolishing Universal Winter Fuel Payments – What's Next ?

  Those of us who were suspicious of Labour’s motives before the election will not have been surprised at Rachel Reeve’s first salvo in Labour’s ‘war on pensioners’ in August. The only thing that was a little unexpected was the belligerence of her delivery…and the readiness with which she was prepared to ‘let the cat out of the bag’ this early in her tenure. The pronounced ‘gasp’ from all sides of the Commons when she announced the move suggested that even her own colleagues were a tad surprised. Subsequent analysis has shown very little evidence of contrition on her part, although Starmer's 'happy band' of new MPs are getting it in the neck via their mailboxes. It was a virtual certainty that benefits would come under attack following the Tories election defeat. Labour, having successfully hemmed themselves in by their manifesto promise of no increases in NI, VAT or income tax rates, and with inflation-busting increases in public sector pay already agreed, with many mo
Read more

Pneumonia in Young Children: Is the Chinese epidemic spreading ?

  The short answer to this question is…yes, it already has. First, some background…. World Health Organization (WHO) has been monitoring data from Chinese surveillance systems that have been showing an increase in respiratory illness in children in northern China this autumn. In mid-November, China’s National Health Commission reported a nationwide increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases, predominantly affecting children. They attributed this seasonal increase primarily to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and known circulating pathogens such as influenza,  Mycoplasma pneumoniae , respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Also relevant was the continued prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Chinese population. Both  Mycoplasma pneumonia  and RSV are known to affect children more than adults. To follow up their report, WHO made an official request to China to provide additional epidemiologic and clinical information, as well as laboratory results from the reported cases and data
Read more