EMERGING cases of poliomyelitis might have "snuck up behind us" in London and New York, but public health experts say it is a red flag reminder - even for families in regional Victoria.
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Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton this week confirmed the state's wastewater was being sampled for the paralytic and life-threatening disease after an unvaccinated man in his 20s was left paralysed in the United States - a nation, like Australia, where the virus had been eradicated.
Professor Sutton and Deakin University epidemiology lead Catherine Bennett said an outbreak in Victoria was rare due to high vaccination rates.
But, there was a risk the virus could be imported from countries with poor vaccination rates. Professors Sutton and Bennett said the New York case was a red flag for everyone to ensure all their vaccinations were up to date.
It should always be on our mind these things can be reemerging. We often forget eradicated disease can come in from other countries.
- Professor Catherine Bennett, Deakin University
"I do think polio is one that snuck up behind us from what we saw in the UK [United Kingdom] and New York," Professor Bennett said.
"Australia's history is a strong one with vaccinations and we were quite confident with COVID but then were not so sure because anti-vaxxers would bring out things in the conversation. It has been hard because of some misinformation.
"...It should always be on our mind these things can be reemerging. We often forget eradicated disease can come in from other countries."
Vaccination drop-off has already been flagged as a concern in the City of Ballarat. This was especially evident in jabs administered at school, such as the human papillomavirus jab (better known as HPV), due to long periods of home learning.
The Ballarat-based 4EK Foundation has also been raising awareness for families to make sure children and adolescent routine vaccinations are up-to-date, including the ACWY vaccine to guard against meningococcal strains.
Professor Bennett said there was a tricky public health balance in helping people to realise how vital these jabs were in protecting themselves, their loved ones and communities.
She said it was hard not to overwhelm people and undermine or compromise vaccinations because Australia had achieved eradication or because people were COVID-jab fatigued.
Finding that balance has long been a juggle Professor Bennett has seen play out through her career, including with protections against diseases like tuberculosis.
"The big message is that if you ask people to say what saves lives they'll usually answer antibiotics or surgery or chemotherapy, but the biggest life savers are vaccinations and clean water," Professor Bennett said.
"It's the classic problem in public health to get vaccinations right and people thinking about it. It's like the perfect soundtrack to a movie - people don't really notice the role it plays.
"In the absence of it [vaccinations], it would be a world we do not recognise - there would be a lot of people missing or disfigured. It's not that it's no longer happening , we're just protecting against it."
IN OTHER NEWS
The man left paralysed from polio in the US is understood to have been infected by someone who had received an oral, live vaccine. Polio vaccinations in Australia are now delivered by injection.
Professor Sutton, speaking on ABC Radio Melbourne, said it was possible if a person received an oral vaccine in another country and visited Australia, they could infect an unvaccinated person. He urged those in doubt, such as refugees from countries with "ragged" jab programs, to check with their doctor.
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