Polio testing extended to Brighton and Hove

Polio testing is being extended to Brighton and Hove after the virus was detected in London – and parents are being asked to check their children have been vaccinated against it.

Sewage samples are being tested in areas where polio is most likely to have spread from London and those where fewer people have been vaccinated against it.

Although no cases of the virus have been detected in patients, polio has been found in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, which covers parts of North and East London

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) working with the Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is now expanding its search on a precautionary basis.

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.

“We are now expanding the sewage sampling nationally to areas that are at highest risk of new poliovirus importations and areas most likely to see spread of poliovirus from London. We are in touch with public health colleagues in these areas and will work closely with local areas as the need arises.

“In the meantime it is vital parents across the country check their children are fully vaccinated for their age. Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), all children aged one to nine years in London need to have a dose of polio vaccine now – whether it’s an extra booster dose or just to catch up.

“It will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis. This may also help stop the virus spreading further.”

Other sites being tested are parts of Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford, Bristol, Bury, Castle Point, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, Nottingham, Preston, Salford, Sheffield and Watford.

These areas have been chosen on the basis of an assessment of risk, which takes into consideration a number of factors. This includes demographics – population groups living in the area with links to countries overseas where wild poliovirus is still found or where live oral polio vaccine is still used, areas with low polio vaccination coverage, areas with pockets of under-vaccinated communities and areas adjacent to the locations in London where poliovirus has been detected.

The sewage sampling strategy will continue to be reviewed and adapted as new evidence emerges. Nationally the overall risk of paralytic polio is considered low because most people are protected from this by vaccination.

Brighton and Hove has one of the lowest rates of five-year-olds vaccinated for polio. According to NHS figures for 2020-21, it has the seventh lowest take-up of the first vaccination outside London, with 93 per cent of five-year-olds having had a jab.