Medical expert warns of polio risks and emphasizes vaccination

In observance of World Polio Day, Dr. Meltem Kıymaz, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Erzurum City Hospital, has issued a warning regarding the risks of polio. She noted that the virus is highly contagious and spreads primarily through the digestive and respiratory tracts, potentially leading to permanent paralysis and life-threatening respiratory failure.

Dr. Kıymaz emphasized that there is no definitive cure for polio, making vaccination the only effective method of prevention. While global vaccination campaigns have significantly reduced the disease's prevalence, she warned that declining vaccination rates combined with international travel pose a risk of resurgence in areas where the virus has not been completely eradicated.

Two types of vaccines were highlighted: the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), administered via injection, which is highly reliable and contains no live virus, and the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which is administered orally and helps prevent community spread by providing intestinal immunity.