A national incident has been declared after new evidence was found of community transmission of polio. Health authorities are urging people to ensure that their polio vaccines are up to date.
The virus that causes polio, which can cause paralysis in rare cases, was identified in sewage samples taken from London between February and May 2022, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA said: "Poliovirus has the potential to spread, particularly in communities where vaccine uptake is lower. On rare occasions it can cause paralysis in people who are not fully vaccinated so if you or your child are not up to date with your polio vaccinations it’s important you contact your GP to catch up or if unsure check your Red Book."
