The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that a targeted inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) booster dose should be offered to all children between the ages of 1 and 9 in all London boroughs, following the discovery of type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus in sewage in north and east London.
The booster will provide a high level of protection from paralysis and help reduce further spread of the virus. The overall risk of paralytic polio is considered low anyway, as most people are already protected by vaccination.
Parents will be contacted by the NHS in London when it’s their child’s turn to come forward for a booster or catch-up polio dose. Parents are asked to take up the offer as soon as possible.
The programme will start in the area affected, where the virus has been detected and where vaccination rates are low. There will then be a rapid rollout across all boroughs.
The booster is on top of the NHS childhood vaccination catch-up campaign, which is already in place in London. London has lower childhood vaccination rates than the rest of the country.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "No cases of polio have been reported and for the majority of the population, who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low. But we know the areas in London where the poliovirus is being transmitted have some of the lowest vaccination rates. This is why the virus is spreading in these communities and puts those residents not fully vaccinated at greater risk.
"Polio is a serious infection that can cause paralysis but nationally the overall risk is considered low because most people are protected by vaccination. The last case of polio in the UK was in 1984, but decades ago before we introduced the polio vaccination programme around 8,000 people would develop paralysis every year.
"It is vital parents ensure their children are fully vaccinated for their age. Following JCVI advice all children aged 1 to 9 years in London need to have a dose of polio vaccine now – whether it’s an extra booster dose or just to catch up with their routine vaccinations. It will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis. This may also help stop the virus spreading further."
Jane Clegg, Chief Nurse for the NHS in London said: "While the majority of Londoners are protected from polio, the NHS will shortly be contacting parents of eligible children aged 1 to 9 years old to offer them a top-up dose to ensure they have maximum protection from the virus.
"We are already reaching out to parents and carers of children who aren’t up to date with their routine vaccinations, who can book a catch-up appointment with their GP surgery now and for anyone not sure of their child’s vaccination status, they can check their Red Book."
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