No Polio Detected In NJ Yet, But Testing To Ramp Up Amid NY Emergency

NEW JERSEY — New York's governor declared a disaster emergency amid the state's growing evidence of circulating poliovirus. So far, officials haven't detected the virus in New Jersey, but the state's testing capacity remains limited.

Ever since New York officials reported the nation's first-known polio case since 2013, the state has discovered the virus in the wastewater of five areas: New York City, three downstate counties near New Jersey (Rockland, Orange and Sullivan) and one on Long Island (Nassau County).

The discoveries have health officials on alert for a potential resurgence of the virus that killed thousands of U.S. children per year before the introduction of the vaccine. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared an emergency Sept. 9, which increased the network of who could administer vaccines and expanded resources for fighting the virus.

The New Jersey Department of Health has not received any reports of polio cases among the state's residents.

"While the risk from poliovirus to the general NJ population is low, the Department continues to encourage all New Jerseyans to stay up to date on all recommended vaccinations, including poliovirus and COVID-19," said Nancy Kearney, a spokesperson for the state health department.

New Jersey has tested water samples for polio via the National Wastewater Surveillance System, which the CDC launched in September 2020 to track the presence of COVID-19. Health officials tested specimens previously collected for COVID wastewater testing from May to August. The 32 samples taken from fives sites — Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic and Union Counties — all tested negative for poliovirus.

But the CDC-led effort to institute a centralized wastewater-testing system throughout the nation hasn't made it far in New Jersey. The state has only seven wastewater-sampling sites, which are all around the state's northeastern coast. State officials are working with the CDC to enroll additional sites for wastewater surveillance to test for poliovirus, Kearney told Patch.

New York officials announced a polio case July 21 in Rockland County, which has one of the state's lowest vaccination rates for polio. About 60 percent of the county is vaccinated against polio, compared to 78.96 percent of the state.

Polio vaccinations are required for kids to start school in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but several states allow exemptions. New Jersey accepts "valid medical and religious exemptions" for children without proof of immunizations. But state health authorities can suspend the exemptions during an outbreak or threatened outbreak. During the 2020-21 school year, 5.7 percent of New Jersey's kindergarteners were not vaccinated against polio.

The vaccine series protects against severe disease in 99 percent of children who get the recommended doses, according to the CDC.

If you're unsure whether you've been vaccinated against polio, check the contact the immunization information system (IIS) in the state(s) where you've received vaccinations. Here's info on the New Jersey IIS:

• main website
• 609-826-4860
• help center
• request an immunization record