Should Canadians be worried about polio? New viruses? Vaccination is key, says Tam

Canada's top doctor says vaccination is key to protecting Canadians against the polio virus and is encouraging everyone to stay up-to-date with their immunization.

With the polio virus making a comeback in some parts of the world, many Canadians may be wondering how to protect themselves against the disease. According to Canada’s top doctor, getting vaccinated is the best and most effective way to do so.

“When it comes to vaccine-preventable illnesses, the vaccine against polio is very effective,” said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, during a virtual health update on Friday.

“The key is to get up-to-date with your vaccination…The vaccine coverage is quite high for polio in Canada, but I don’t know what happened during the pandemic. I hope people are getting caught up before school or travel,” she added.

U.S. officials reported in early August that an unvaccinated American in New York, in Rockland County, north of the city was diagnosed with the country’s first case of polio in nearly a decade.

No other cases have been reported and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are urging parents to get their children vaccinated against the potentially deadly disease.

That discovery came shortly after British health authorities reported finding evidence that the virus has spread in London but no cases have been reported in people so far.

U.K.’s National Health Service says investigations into community transmission are ongoing and that children aged one to nine in London have been made eligible for booster doses of a polio vaccine as of Aug. 10.

Even though Health Canada has not recorded a case of the virus in more than 25 years, Dr. Tam explained during the health update that when it comes to vaccine-preventable illnesses, the issue is under immunization, which can often lead to cases re-emerging.