Half of Migrants Piling into NYC Not Vaxxed for Polio, Top Doc Warns; Illegal Immigrants in NYC Not Vaccinated Against Polio, Tuberculosis: Health Commissioner

Half of migrants piling into NYC not vaxxed for polio, top doc warns:

A startling 50% of migrants streaming into the Big Apple are not vaccinated against the contagious and potentially deadly poliovirus, city Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan recently revealed — as he urged doctors to help prevent a public health emergency, The Post has learned.

Vasan also said the new migrants come from, or pass through, countries with high rates of infectious tuberculosis — and noted there’ve been outbreaks of chickenpox in shelters housing the newcomers.

“More than 50,000 people have come to New York City (NYC) in the past year shortly after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. As more people arrive and many make NYC their home, the scale and scope of need continues to grow,” Vasan said in an eight-page letter, dated April 11, sent to physicians and other health care providers. A copy was obtained by The Post.

“I am writing now to underscore how critical it is that health care providers take a wide range of considerations into account when working with people who are seeking asylum … The scope of this letter represents the scale of the need. It is incumbent upon us as a welcoming city to comprehensively evaluate and meet these needs.”

Vasan said screening and vaccinating migrants for diseases and viruses that’ve been kept in check in the city is a top priority.

“Vaccination rates for certain diseases are low in some of the most common countries of origin, with rates hovering around 50% for polio as an example,” the commissioner said. —>READ MORE HERE

Illegal immigrants in NYC not vaccinated against polio, tuberculosis: health commissioner:

Approximately 50 percent of illegal immigrants coming into New York City are not vaccinated against the contagious and potentially deadly poliovirus.

The New York Post obtained an eight-page letter, dated April 11, that was sent to physicians and other healthcare providers by the city’s Health Commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, urging doctors to help prevent a public health emergency.

According to Vasan, the migrants come from or pass through countries with high rates of infectious tuberculosis and there have also been chickenpox outbreaks in shelters housing them.

“More than 50,000 people have come to New York City (NYC) in the past year shortly after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. As more people arrive and many make NYC their home, the scale and scope of need continues to grow,” Vasan wrote.

He added, “I am writing now to underscore how critical it is that health care providers take a wide range of considerations into account when working with people who are seeking asylum. The scope of this letter represents the scale of the need. It is incumbent upon us as a welcoming city to comprehensively evaluate and meet these needs.”

The commissioner wrote that screening and vaccinating the illegals for diseases and viruses that have previously been kept at bay is a top priority.

“Vaccination rates for certain diseases are low in some of the most common countries of origin, with rates hovering around 50% for polio as an example.” —>READ MORE HERE

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