"Once a source of terror in summer months, the virus seemed headed to the history books."
 | By Alexandra Sifferlin Senior Staff Editor, Opinion |
"The case of a young adult paralyzed by polio in New York is not simply unexpected. It's shocking," writes Mary T. Bassett, the health commissioner of New York State, in a guest essay. "Polio in New York today is an imminent threat." |
The detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in multiple communities in New York has created alarm, especially since the disease has been considered eliminated in the United States for decades. Now a tired public health system — still dealing with Covid and monkeypox — must once again attempt to meet the moment at a time when public trust feels low. |
Bassett outlines what's at risk for her state and elsewhere, where, she describes, "health departments fight not only infectious diseases but also disinformation campaigns designed to wage war against vaccines." |
"A damaging cycle perpetuates when underresourced health departments are unable to mount the kind of response the public seeks, further diminishing trust," she writes. "Budgets and policies may expand to meet a crisis, only to shrink when it passes. When public health bodies respond reactively, it's too little, too late. The damage is done, the suffering has ensued, and faith in the institutions people need is left devastated." |
What can be done to face this crisis? Making sure the outbreak remains small requires urgency and sensitivity, writes Jeneen Interlandi, a member of the Times editorial board, in a recent piece. The first polio case in this outbreak was identified among an Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland County, New York, where vaccination rates tend to be lower than those in other areas. "Vaccine hesitancy is not rooted in Orthodox religion," one community health worker told Interlandi. "It's fueled by people who come from outside the community to spread lies and sow fear." |
Repairing the trust needed to successfully combat outbreaks may be a tall order, but as both Bassett and Interlandi write, it's critical for making sure a once eradicated disease does not become entrenched once again. |
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