Close to one million children from the ages of one to nine across London will be offered the polio vaccine after it was discovered in the sewers of the capital, according to health officials.
Polio, which was completely eradicated in the UK in 2003, is a dangerous virus that can cause paralysis and sometimes be life-threatening. While no official cases have yet been confirmed, officials have sounded the alarm after a shocking amount of samples were found in London's sewage system.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) working alongside the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) discovered the poliovirus in sewage samples in London boroughs including Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest. Officials have said the levels of the virus found in sewage and their "genetic diversity" suggest "some virus transmission" in London's boroughs.
