First polio case in decades reported in the Americas

The first polio case in the Americas in more than 30 years was reported on 21 July in a young unvaccinated Orthodox Jewish man in Rockland County, about 35 miles north of New York City. Health officials said he was infected by a strain related to the live oral polio vaccine, which is used in some parts of the world but has not been used in the US since 2000.123

Rockland County is home to several large ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities with low vaccination rates. The county experienced a measles outbreak in these communities in 2018-2019.4

The inactivated polio vaccine is recommended for US children and is usually required for school attendance. About 92% of US children are vaccinated against polio by …