Why do people still get polio in some countries and not in others?
Polio can survive only where it finds kids who aren’t protected by a vaccine.
Curious Kids asks why some countries still see cases of polio while others do not – a question posed by Mia, age 9, from Centennial, Colorado. Polio is caused by a virus that spreads through contaminated food, water or surfaces, and can lead to paralysis. A vaccine exists that offers lifelong protection, but its success hinges on widespread vaccination.
Efforts began in 1988 to eradicate polio, with significant progress achieved - global cases dropped by over 99% since then. However, wild polio still exists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, primarily due to insufficient vaccination rates. The oral vaccine, though effective, can mutate into a form that causes paralysis if too few people are vaccinated.
Polio can also travel globally through travelers, but remains harmless in vaccinated populations. Misinformation about the vaccine's safety has contributed to outbreaks in certain regions. To combat this, efforts focus on reaching hard-to-vaccinate groups and dispelling myths. While wild polio remains a threat in a few countries, the global community is closer than ever to ending this debilitating disease for good.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
