The risk of a major polio outbreak in the UK is now at its highest level "in more than a generation", leading pandemic doctors have warned.
According to them, the decline in vaccination and the government's decision to stop funding global programs to eradicate the disease could lead to an increase in cases, both domestically and internationally.
The polio virus, which mainly affects children, is highly contagious and has been detected several times in sewage in Britain in recent years, including in London.
Doctors Hareen De Silva and Helen Wall from the group "Healthy World, Secure Britain" call this situation a "wake-up call."
Vaccine hesitancy and a false sense of security have led to one in five children not receiving their booster dose before school, leaving them unprotected.
Poliomyelitis often causes mild, flu-like symptoms, but it can also lead to serious complications affecting the brain and nervous system, such as paralysis.
This can happen within hours or days and usually affects the legs. If the paralysis affects the breathing muscles, it can be life-threatening.
Dr De Silva, who recently worked in Gaza where the first case of polio in 25 years was recorded, said the experience showed him that the disease can easily return.
“With vaccination rates declining and aid cuts, the risk to this country is the highest it has been in more than a generation,” he said. “As long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere.”
According to the British health service, the last case of polio in the country was recorded in 1984, while Britain was officially declared free of this disease in 2003 thanks to mass vaccination.
However, doctors warn that the decline in vaccine coverage – from 95% (the level needed for herd immunity) to around 92% – could pave the way for its return.
Funding cuts to global initiatives like the polio eradication program, as well as international vaccination organizations, could undermine years of efforts to eliminate the disease.
Recent cases around the world – including the paralysis of a child in Gaza in 2024 and an unvaccinated person in the US in 2022 – show that the risk is still real.
Experts warn that the combination of vaccine hesitancy, reduced funding and neglect is creating a "perfect storm" that increases the risk of the disease returning.
They emphasize that the fight against infectious diseases is not only a global issue, but also a direct protection for national health systems, reducing the risk of new outbreaks within the country. /GazetaExpress/
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