A resurgence of the infectious disease of poliomyelitis has been noted since the beginning of the year in the United States, Great Britain and Israel. In order to prevent a virus causing a vaccine-preventable disease from continuing to spread, the Ministry of Health reminds the population that it is important to carry out all their basic and booster vaccinations, both for infants and young children than for adults. The recommendations of the national vaccination calendar can be consulted on the site sante.lu.
Poliomyelitis is an extremely contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under 5 years old. It attacks the nervous system and can paralyze muscles, usually causing death or lifelong paralysis. It is mainly transmitted by the faecal-oral route and the virus can be found in water.
The only way to protect once morest poliomyelitis and certain other infectious diseases is through vaccination. Adherence to the vaccination schedule does not only apply to children. Adults also need to pay attention to this, especially for their reminders.
To find out where you are with your vaccinations, talk to your doctor or consult your vaccination record. A new digital service available for monitoring vaccinations, called an electronic vaccination record, was made available by the eSanté Agency and developed in collaboration with the Health Department. It makes it possible to securely centralize vaccination data, to receive notifications for reminders and to benefit from personalized vaccination advice in accordance with the recommendations of the CSMI (Higher Council for Infectious Diseases).
Vaccination is one of the most important innovations in public health, which has saved many lives since its introduction. It has contributed to reducing morbidity and mortality in adults, children and in vulnerable populations at increased risk of infection. According to Unicef, each year vaccination prevents around 2 to 3 million deaths from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles, these deadly diseases which disproportionately affect children.
Communicated by the Ministry of Health
