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Poliomyelitis

When was the last time you heard about poliomyelitis? You may never have heard about it, since the last case of wild polio in the Americas occurred in 1994. This speaks to the effectiveness of the childhood immunization program against poliomyelitis.

Polio is caused by a virus. The majority of people who become infected do not manifest any symptoms; however a small percentage may develop permanent paralysis of parts of the body.

Childhood vaccination provides immunity to a majority of people, however, if you are traveling to areas of the world where the wild form of polio exists, a booster is recommended.



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