October 24 is the World Polio Day. Its purpose is to draw attention to this dangerous disease, spread prevention methods and raise people’s awareness of the ways of transmission and recognition of the first symptoms. Specialists remind that there is currently a large list of countries where the risk of a poliomyelitis epidemic persists due to the low number of vaccinated people.

• Not everyone knows that poliomyelitis is an incurable disease, and only timely vaccination can prevent it. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that the poliovirus affects the spinal cord, as a result of which a person becomes paralyzed.

Doctors assure that vaccinating 95% of people will completely stop the spread of the infection. At the same time, they warn that a decrease in the number of vaccinations in ten years will lead to mass outbreaks of the disease, as a result of which more than 200 thousand people will fall ill and may die. Therefore, information about poliomyelitis should be disseminated through medical and educational institutions, mass media. Special attention should be paid to explaining the need for vaccinations to pregnant women and young parents.