US polio vaccine coverage is SHORT of 95% threshold believed to be needed to control an outbreak

The United States is among the more than 100 countries that does not meet recommended vaccine coverage thresholds to control a potential outbreak of polio, leaving America vulnerable to an outbreak of the devastating disease.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 92.6 percent of Americans children are vaccinated against polio by their second birthday, falling short of World Health Organization (WHO) threshold of 95%.

The virus – which can cause paralysis in some patients – has been stopped in every country in the world except Pakistan and Afghanistan. The WHO warns that as long as it is circulating in these countries, it remains a threat around the world.

That threat was realized this week when the UK was placed under high alert after remnants of an…