The CDC may offer some New Yorkers an extra dose of the polio vaccine amid concerns that the virus is silently spreading through a community where the nation's first polio case in nearly a decade was detected July 21, CNN reported.
A CDC team is aiding the New York health department with an investigation of the case and supporting community vaccination efforts amid concerns about the virus's potential silent spread.
"We're looking into all aspects of how to deal with this. At this point, we don't have a definitive answer," José Romero, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told CNN.
The case, which was identified in an unvaccinated man, may be "just the very, very tip of the iceberg" and a sign that there "must be several hundred cases in the community circulating," Dr. Romero said.
About 75 percent of people with polio don't have symptoms but can still spread the virus to others, according to the CDC. Among the remaining 25 percent, symptoms may include a sore throat or headache that can easily be confused with another illness.
The CDC's consideration for extra boosters comes as health officials in London are offering extra doses for children after detecting the virus in wastewater samples.