The update and letter from our International PolioPlus Committee Chair may be alarming, but please note that this newest case of TYPE 2 Virus in New York is just another reminder why we must continue to be vigilant in our efforts to educate our members, remind our community, and fund raise until we are done.

Also, note that Year to Date we have had 13 TYPE 1 Wild Polio Virus cases as follows:  One is Afghanistan, eleven in Pakistan and one is Mozambique. The one from Mozambique was a result of travel from the Pakistan area. We know this by the DNA of the virus within this person and we were able to trace it back to its origin.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has been informed of a case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated individual in Rockland County, New York, United States.
 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are coordinating with New York State health authorities on their investigation. Initial sequencing confirmed by CDC indicates that the case is type 2 VDPV. [Not Type 1 which is the type we mostly follow.]
  
Any form of poliovirus anywhere is a threat to children everywhere. It is critical that the GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 is fully resourced and fully implemented everywhere, to ensure a world free of all forms of poliovirus can be achieved.  
 
We are calling on every single Rotarian to take action and be a part of the fight to end polio, helping to raise $50 million per year for polio eradication.
 
Mike McGovern
Chair, International PolioPlus Committee