According to Reuters, Poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples from four counties (Rockland, Sullivan, Orange, Nassau) in the New York metro area and NYC. The emergency declaration will expand the number of vaccine administrators to include pharmacists, EMS workers and midwives to boost the immunization rate in areas where it has been reduced. Polio can cause paralysis in humanism, according to state health officials. Unvaccinated residents who live, work, go to school or visit the four counties are at the highest risk of catching the debilitating virus.

New York began testing wastewater surveillance in July after an unvaccinated adult caught polio in Rockland County and suffered paralysis – becoming the first known infection in the United States in almost a decade. “On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,” New York Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said, according to the Associated Press. “I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all. Polio immunization is safe and effective — protecting nearly all people against disease who receive the recommended doses.” Dr. Bassett called on individuals and families unsure of their vaccination status to reach out to local health departments or a health care professional to ensure they’re up to date on their shots.

The vaccination rates between the four counties range between 60 and 79 percent. The statewide average for polio immunization is about 79 percent. According to CNBC, the health department’s goal of the vaccination campaign is to have a statewide average of over 90 percent.