Dateline Jerusalem – A request was made by a scientist friend to devote this week's essay to polio, and talk of how Israel is handling its prevention. I had believed polio was eradicated almost 60 years ago. Between Dr. Salk (inoculation) and Dr. Sabin (oral vaccine of drops in a sugar cube), the world was safe from this terrible paralyzing disease that attacked young and old. At least this was so in Western nations. To my surprise, polio again is a threat.
According to the World Health Organization of the United Nations, polio epidemics exist in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Somalia, for example, 109 cases have been reported this year. Unfortunately, with modern transportation and travel, and with Africans in Somalia and Nigeria fleeing often entering the Middle East illegally, the threat of a polio epidemic exists.
The good news is that there are no known cases of polio in Israel. However, the Ministry of Health indicates that they have found an Egyptian strain of the virus in some sewer systems. Since polio is known to be transmitted via fecal matter, it is not unusual that sewer systems become “infected water sources.” Therefore, the Health Ministry has embarked upon a new polio policy after consulting with WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
It appears that the Egyptian strain of the polio virus entered Israel through its southern border with Egypt when Bedouin tribes helped illegal African immigrants infiltrate Israel. The majority come from Somalia, Nigeria, Eritrea and the Sudan, countries where there are epidemics and/or high numbers of polio cases. They made their way across Egypt to the Sinai and then to Israel. Sixty thousand immigrants have illegally entered Israel. With the Bedouins mingling with Israeli Arabs, it is no wonder that more infected sewer systems were found in areas with higher numbers of Arabs and illegal African immigrants.
Parents in Israel are concerned. Although most Israeli children have been vaccinated against polio, they, like most children in Western nations, only received a “killed” virus in recent years because it was thought that polio had been wiped out and a live virus was unnecessary. Now the Health Ministry recommends that all children under the age of nine be given an additional two drops of a weakened live virus in order to prevent a possible spread of polio to non-vaccinated people, infants, or those with no or limited immunity. The Ministry claims vaccinated children will not get polio from this live version of the vaccine. Without it, though, they could be carriers of the virus. Opponents of the nationwide polio prevention program believe the general population is at risk from these children who will spread the live polio virus strain in their feces while waiting for the weakened live virus immunity to kick in.
Bitter Dispute
There seems to be quite a controversy about this new policy, especially since children who have relatives with major health or immunity problems will not be required to take the live vaccine. That includes children who have relatives with bone marrow transplants, cancer, or are treated with chemotherapy, radiation or large doses of steroids. Therefore, if the live version of the vaccine is supposed to protect those in the population who have immunity problems or who have not been vaccinated, why do their family members get an exemption from the live vaccine? Does that mean that the live vaccine may actually cause health problems to the general population during the two to six weeks needed to take effect? With hundreds of thousands of young children being given the live virus vaccine prior to school starting, does that mean that sewer systems nationwide will be inundated with the weakened live polio virus in these children's feces?
Although the Ministry has embarked on this new policy to erase and prevent polio from attacking the general population, many parents and other opponents of the mandatory program have asked the Israeli Supreme Court to issue an injunction to halt the vaccination program pending proof that the merits outweigh the risks. The newly appointed chief rabbis in the country, however, have stated that parents should comply with the vaccination program.
Israel, though, is no more at risk than Europe or the United States. What with the turmoil in the Middle East and Africa, thousands from these disease- ridden countries are entering Europe and the US. Whether their immigration status is illegal or legal does not matter. What is the U.S. and Europe doing to prevent the outbreak of polio and other infectious diseases brought by these immigrants within their borders?
There is a controversy in America of concern to me regarding both the injected and oral polio vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control admits that strains of the polio vaccines administered during my childhood were contaminated with cancer causing chemicals.
A lot to think about.
L'hitraot. Shachar