Dr Hilary Jones had a message for parents on Good Morning Britain today. Thursday's edition of the ITV news programme was hosted by Adil Ray and Charlotte Hawkins.
The two were joined by the well-known medical expert who discussed how concerned people should be after polio was detected in the UK. Polio was eradicated in Britain in 2003, but the UK Health Security Agency has found the virus in sewage samples in London, collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, which serves around four million people in north and east London.
Experts have raised the alarm after several genetically-linked viruses were found in samples between February and May. However, it is quite normal for the virus to be picked up as isolated cases and not detected again reports the LiverpoolEcho.
A "national incident" has been established to check for cases elsewhere as a precaution as officials investigate the extent of community transmission. Dr Hilary said: "Before we had effective vaccines in the 50s, one in 200 people would develop paralysis of the lower legs and limbs. One in 15 of those would go and develop paralysis of the respiratory muscles and be dependent on an iron lung in those days."
He assured people Public Health has the situation under control and described the risk as "low" amongst those who are vaccinated. However, he explained it was more of a worry for parents of children who are under five and haven't been fully vaccinated against polio.
Most children have the polio vaccine as part of their vaccination programme, but the medical expert urged parents to check with their GP whether their child had been vaccinated. He added: "Most parents will have a red book that has a record of their vaccinations. We use an injectable form of the polio vaccine now and children have it at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks.
"They also have it at three years and four months before school and teenagers at 14. So you have five five injections of the polio vaccine and if you're fully protected then you have nothing to worry about."
He added: "NHS will be contacting parents with children under the age of five, who haven't been fully vaccinated. But parents look in your red book. If they haven't been vaccinated, contact your GP and get it done."
Parents who haven't got a red book can check their child's vaccination status by contacting their GP or checking online.
- Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV and the ITV Hub
