POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Legislator Doug McHoul (R-Fishkill) is encouraging parents and others responsible for young children to make sure the children receive all three Polio vaccinations to prevent the spread of the virus.
It is a crippling disease that can invade the brain and spinal cord resulting in paralysis. In Dutchess County, only 76 percent of children ages three and under have received all three doses of the mandatory Polio vaccine.
The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health recently issued a Public Health Advisory regarding vaccines for Polio and Meningitis. It can be found here.
According to McHoul, since 1979, the only Polio virus that has appeared in the United States was in Rockland County in July of 2022.
As a result of the Rockland case, health departments working with the CDC, began a series of wastewater samples which, McHoul said detected a high amount of the Polio virus in Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan counties. Because of their proximity to Dutchess, there is a concern that the virus could spread, McHoul told Mid-Hudson News.
McHoul said they trying to encourage parents all across the county to check their children’s vaccine records. “If you’re not sure, call their pediatrician and get the fully vaccinated against the Polio virus.” Noting that the word “vaccine” has a new meaning for many people,
McHoul said he believes the low number of children fully vaccinated against Polio has to do with the political arena over the last few years as related to the COVID vaccine.
McHoul, who serves as the legislature’s liaison to the Dutchess County Behavioral & Community Health department, considers the Polio vaccination rate in Dutchess to be troublesome. In analyzing the data, the lawmaker noted that Saratoga County has a Polio vaccination rate of 91 percent for children three and younger. “Kids need to get these vaccines,” he said, adding there’s a reason we do it. The polio vaccine has proven not to be of concern to parents, unlike the debate about getting kids the COVID vaccine.”
