For the first time since 1984 polio has been found to be spreading in the UK, after being detected at a sewage works in London on three separate occasions this year.

As a result Londoners have been urged to make sure that babies and children are fully vaccinated against polio.

It is a rare disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. 

Jane Clegg, Chief nurse for the NHS in London said that the majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio and won’t need to take any further action.

In this episode, Dr Mike Skinner from Imperial College London discusses the history of polio, how likely further community spread is, and how worried we should be about it.

Follow us on Twitter for more news @EveningStandard

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.