About polio: Most people infected with polio will have no symptoms; others may have flu-like symptoms. A small proportion of infected people (between 1 to 5 of every 100) develop symptoms affecting the brain and spinal cord. The CDC estimates that about 1 in 200 people with polio will have paralysis or weakness in arms, legs, or both. Between 2 and 10 of 100 people with polio paralysis die because the virus affects the muscles that enable breathing.
School Exemptions: Like every state in the U.S., Georgia requires children to get vaccinated before attending school. Like some states, Georgia allows not only medical but also religious exemptions. Exemptions have been ticking upward to 2.9%, according to the most recent data available, up from 2.5% in 2019.
Protection: The best way to prevent polio transmission is through vaccinations. according to experts. The standard series of polio consists of four doses: one at 2 months old, the second at 4 months old, the third between 6 and 18 months, and the fourth between 4 and 6 years old.
Risk of outbreaks currently low: High U.S. vaccination rates make the risk of a polio outbreak extremely low, though there could be pockets of the population where rates are far lower, which can put them at risk, according to experts. While overall rates in Georgia and the U.S. exceed 90%, the rates vary. In Rockland County, where the polio victim was diagnosed, only 60.3 % of 2-year-olds have been vaccinated. A county-by-county breakdown for Georgia was not available.
Herd Immunity for polio: The percentage of people who need to be vaccinated in order to stop the disease spread, the so-called herd immunity, varies from infection to infection. For polio, the number is about 80% to 85%, according to experts.
Vaccines save lives: Every year in the U.S., vaccines prevent roughly 30,000 pediatric deaths. Note: This CDC estimate is based on research conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.
SOURCE: CDC
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