Poland’s health authorities are urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against polio after traces of the virus were found in the sewage system of Warsaw during routine testing this month.
The Main Sanitary Inspectorate of Poland emphasized that the presence of the virus in sewage does not necessarily indicate that people have contracted the disease, but unvaccinated individuals may be at risk.
“Polio is most often spread by contact with waste from an infected person or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food,” the Inspectorate explained, noting that the virus primarily affects children under 5 years old.
Although most polio infections show no symptoms, in severe cases, the virus can invade the nervous system, causing paralysis within hours. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one in 200 polio cases results in permanent paralysis, typically of the legs.
Currently, around 86% of three-year-olds in Poland have been vaccinated against polio, falling short of the 95% vaccination rate recommended by health authorities to prevent the virus from spreading. The Polish government is ramping up efforts, including intensifying sewage testing, replenishing vaccine stocks, and updating lists of unvaccinated children. Polio vaccinations remain free in Poland for those under 19.
Poland’s last recorded case of polio was in 1984, and the WHO declared the European region polio-free in 2002. However, the recent detection of the virus comes amid growing concerns over anti-vaccination movements in the country.
