New York expires state of emergency over polio after fewer samples detected in wastewater

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York delivered some good news Monday in their ongoing efforts to protect residents against polio.

The New York State Department of Health announced that a state of emergency over polio is no longer needed because fewer samples of the virus were detected in wastewater from counties of concern.

The state of emergency was first put in place three months ago after officials identified the virus in New York City and Nassau, Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties.

Nassau is the latest county in the state to detect polio in the wastewater, prompting a state disaster emergency. Sonia RIncon has more from Port Washington.

It loosened the rules on who could administer the vaccine, but that expired last Thursday.

Since July, over 46,700 polio vaccine doses have been administered to children 18 years and younger in Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Nassau counties

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Officials said the campaign to get more people immunized will continue along with the surveillance of wastewater surveillance.

New Yorkers can learn more about polio online at the Department of Health's website, which will continue to be updated with the latest wastewater surveillance results.

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