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How can polio be prevented?

Polio is a viral disease that strikes mainly young children, with more than half of reported cases being in children under three. Left untreated, the disease causes paralysis, which is usually irreversible. Some people who contract polio even die from it, mainly due to asphyxiation, a side effect of the paralysis.

As of 2002, Europe has been polio free, mainly because of the aggressive vaccination programs, but the disease is still present in countries like India, and throughout Africa.
Polio is spread through contact with faecal matter, or with people, and it takes anything between four and thirty five days to incubate. The virus multiplies in the intestines or throat, and then it enters the blood stream, where it attacks the central nervous system.

Once these nerves have been destroyed, it is impossible for victims to move their muscles, and this is the cause of the paralysis that is common with poliomyelitis survivors.

Some people are more at risk of contracting polio, including those with immune deficiencies, who have had their tonsils removed, are pregnant, have received intramuscular injections or who exercise vigorously.

Polio is not treatable, and it’s for this reason that it’s imperative that your child gets their 6 in 1 vaccinations, which include protection against the virus that causes polio.

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