New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency for polio after traces of the virus were found in the waters of five counties, including New York.
The New York Times reports it.
The ordinance will speed up the vaccination campaign also allowing emergency service operators, midwives and pharmacists to administer the drug.
The first case of polio in nearly a decade was identified in July in New York State.
By August, traces of polio had been found in New York City sewage.
State authorities today announced that they had identified the virus in 57 samples collected from different counties in the state between May and August.
"We can't roll the dice on polio," said state health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett, stressing that the polio vaccine "is safe and effective. Don't wait to get vaccinated."