(New Square, NY) – RefuahHealth continues to offer walk-in polio vaccinations at its Acute Care location, 728 North Main Street, Spring Valley, NY. From July 21st through September 9th, Refuah has remained a leader in vaccination efforts, administering 1,073 polio vaccines, mostly for children under 2 years old.
Today, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency over polio to boost vaccination rates across the state. While only one case of polio has been confirmed by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), wastewater samples from Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Nassau counties in the New York metropolitan area show evidence that the virus is present in communities.
“We have prepared providers and staff to ensure that they can recognize potential cases of polio and effectively inform and educate patients about the safety and availability of vaccines,” said Dr. Corinna Manini, MD, Chief Medical Officer at RefuahHealth.
On July 21st, NYSDOH confirmed a case of polio in a Rockland County resident. Since then, RefuahHealth has worked with local and state officials and the community to increase vaccinations rates and bring area residents up to date with the CDC’s recommended polio vaccination schedule. Refuah continues to provide polio vaccinations to anyone regardless of health insurance or ability to pay. Vaccinations can be accessed at RefuahHealth Acute Care, located on the lower left-hand side of the Center’s Main Street location, 728 North Main in Spring Valley, NY. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 12:00 am, Friday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am.
RefuahHealth recognizes that proactive outreach from a trusted physicians is important. The Center has leveraged its database to identify patients who are not up to date with the polio vaccine and has followed up with them individually.
“We have adopted a team approach to educating families by engaging staff and providers across the continuum including our specialty providers, like our pediatric cardiologist, to expand touch points for making a strong vaccine recommendation,” said Dr. Manini.
To ensure culturally sensitive and linguistically competent care, RefuahHealth sources staff and providers from within the communities served, with over 240 bilingual and multilingual providers and staff speaking Spanish, Haitian Creole, Yiddish, Chinese, Hebrew, etc.
Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by the poliovirus. It is most commonly spread through exposure to an infected individual. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, polio vaccinations are the best protection against contracting polio. Children should get four doses administered at the following ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 through 18 months, with a booster dose between 4 and 6 years of age. Adults who have previously completed a routine series of the polio vaccine but are considered at increased risk of exposure to the poliovirus, can also receive one lifetime booster. Adults who have never been vaccinated, should receive three doses.
RefuahHealth is committed to continuing to partner with the CDC, Rockland County Department of Health and NYSDOH on additional efforts to increase vaccinations and encourages all children and individuals who are not immunized or those who are unsure of their vaccination history, to contact their primary care provider.
RefuahHealth, a community cornerstone for 29 years, provides comprehensive medical, dental, and mental health care, including select medical specialties, to residents across Rockland and Sullivan Counties in New York’s lower Hudson Valley. Per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, RefuahHealth is a 501(c)3 Federally Qualified Community Health Center. More information about the services provided by RefuahHealth is available online at refuahhealth.org.