Thread by @tmprowell

For the first time in nearly a decade, we have a case of #polio in an unvaccinated adult. Per CDC, ~1 in 14 US 2y olds are currently NOT fully vaxxed & thus at risk. The US polio vaccine is safe & effective. Please verify you & your kids are up to date.
washingtonpost.com/health/new-yor…

#Polio most commonly spreads via the "fecal-oral" route which usually means not washing hands after using toilet then eating (or biting nails or, for kids, thumbsucking) but may also spread via airborne route. #WashYourHands #GetVaccinated #MedTwitter

history.com/news/vaccines-…

There are no meds to treat polio, it's all prevention. Here's info from CDC about #polio, but a better use of your time would just be to ensure you/kids are fully vaxxed. The IPV vaccine is highly effective & safe, & then you can go back to not thinking about it. #VaccinesWork

And finally, here's info on the IPV polio vaccine. Most US adults are fully #vaccinated as vax was required to attend school. With a growing number of parents requesting vaccine waivers (or having missed peds appts due to #pandemic), the US has ~7% of 2 yr olds not up to date.

If you don't know whether you/kids are fully #vaccinated for #polio, you can check on an online portal, ask your dr, or contact the health dept. All 50 states & DC require IPV vaccine to start kindergarten so if you/your kid started K & didn't request a waiver, you're vaxxed.

.@CDCgov recommends 4 doses of IPV (the #polio #vaccine used in the US): 2 mos, 4 mos, 6-18 mos, & 4-6 yrs. See the chart below & contact your doctor if you are not sure whether your kids are up-to-date or due for a booster. The #pandemic resulted in many missed well-child appts.

Here you can see states that mandate #polio #vaccine to attend childcare, pre-K, & elementary schools: all of them. The # of doses required vary by state from 3-4: immunize.org/laws/polio.asp. Before the vax, in the late 1940s, polio paralyzed 35K Americans per year. #VaccinesWork 🏆