As of July 2022, wastewater testing has detected the spread of polio virus in New York City and nearby Rockland and Orange Counties. In addition, one unvaccinated young adult was diagnosed and hospitalized with paralysis in Rockland County.
Polio has been nearly eradicated in the United States and most of the world, thanks to widespread vaccination; but evidence that the virus is spreading is causing concern. The good news is that polio is a disease we have the tools to fight.
To learn more about polio - from prevention to symptoms of exposure - download this new fact sheet from NYSUT's national affiliate the American Federation of Teachers.