Inside the Global Fight to Keep Polio From Making a Comeback

Key Points:

• In July 2022, a young unvaccinated man in upstate New York became the first U.S. polio case in nearly a decade, signaling a resurgence of the virus amid declining vaccination rates and funding cuts.
• The U.S. government's 2025 withdrawal from the WHO and cuts to USAID led to a $230 million loss in global polio funding, contributing to a 60% increase in wild polio virus detections and threatening eradication efforts.
• Anti-vaccine sentiment in the U.S. has grown, with vaccination rates dropping and some communities having significantly low polio immunization, raising fears of potential outbreaks similar to recent measles surges.
• Global polio eradication relies heavily on international cooperation and technical expertise, which have been undermined by U.S. policy shifts toward bilateral agreements and reduced support for multilateral health programs.
• Despite eradication successes in countries like India, experts warn that without sustained vaccination and funding, polio could reemerge as a serious public health threat both globally and in the U.S.