Dr Leonora Weil, from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “I strongly encourage everyone celebrating Pesach to prioritise polio vaccination in your planning for the chaggim. Pesach is a time for celebration, getting together with loved ones and even a single case of paralysis from polio would be devastating as it is completely preventable.”
Professor David Katz, Chair of the Jewish Medical Association, added: “Vaccines are the safest way to protect your child from diseases like diphtheria, polio, and measles. The short and long-term effects of these diseases can be extremely serious and devastating.”
Dr Blumberg, a GP in Stamford Hill, also urged Jews to get jabbed. He said: “Billions of people have been safely vaccinated from key diseases around the world. All vaccines undergo extensive and rigorous multi-stage testing through clinical trials and are continually monitored for safety and effectiveness.”
If you are unsure whether you or your child is vaccinated, NHS advice is to check your child’s red book or contact your GP.
