Incidence Rates of Poliomyelitis in New Zealand
Incidence Rates of Poliomyelitis in Other Countries In the US
PHI thanks Ray Wilson, President, Post-Polio Support Society NZ, Inc. for obtaining the following statistics.
Source: New Zealand Family Physician, Vol. 26, Issue 3.
Cases of Paralytic Poliomyelitis Notified in New Zealand, 1915-1965 |
||
Year |
Paralytic Poliomyelitis Cases |
Deaths from Poliomyelitis |
1915 |
10 |
4 |
1916 |
1018 |
123 |
1917 |
54 |
10 |
1918 |
6 |
4 |
1919 |
11 |
1 |
1920 |
76 |
2 |
1921 |
267 |
11 |
1922 |
98 |
9 |
1923 |
17 |
2 |
1924 |
73 |
22 |
1925 |
1159 |
173 |
1926 |
22 |
11 |
1927 |
29 |
7 |
1928 |
47 |
17 |
1929 |
55 |
7 |
1930 |
12 |
5 |
1931 |
25 |
5 |
1932 |
150 |
19 |
1933 |
45 |
8 |
1934 |
14 |
2 |
1935 |
8 |
1 |
1936 |
87 |
5 |
1937 |
816 |
39 |
1938 |
22 |
4 |
1939 |
50 |
4 |
1940 |
23 |
3 |
1941 |
4 |
2 |
1942 |
31 |
4 |
1943 |
179 |
24 |
1944 |
45 |
5 |
1945 |
16 |
1 |
1946 |
113 |
4 |
1947 |
135 |
9 |
1948 |
964 |
52 |
1949 |
355 |
13 |
1950 |
70 |
2 |
1951 |
26 |
1 |
1952 |
894 |
54 |
1953 |
406 |
26 |
1954 |
43 |
– |
1955 |
703 |
29 |
1956 |
897 |
50 |
1957 |
63 |
3 |
1958 |
57 |
5 |
1959 |
16 |
1 |
1960 |
4 |
– |
1961 |
214 |
7 |
1962 |
5 |
– |
1963 |
0 |
– |
1964 |
0 |
– |
1965 |
0 |
– |
As of 1997, only 4 cases of polio had been reported since 1962, all of which were believed to be vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP). A possible case of VAPP was reported in 1998, but was not confirmed at time of writing.
New Zealand had major epidemics of poliomyelitis occurring in 1916, 1925, 1937 and 1948. Smaller outbreaks were in 1921, 1932 and 1943.
