CDC warned of acute flaccid myelitis in 2020, not 2021

The text over a video being shared on social media warns that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says to "expect a polio-like outbreak coming in children in the next four months." But if you watch the three-minute video, which appears to be a clip of a longer Sept. 1 recording, you’ll hear a clue that this isn’t right. 

One of the men in the video says that U.S. News & World Report, the Florida Star and other media outlets are talking about a notice the CDC sent to every hospital in the country. He said the notice said "you can expect an outbreak between now and November of this year of a polio-like outbreak disease among children, average age of 5 years old."

He says that the CDC is warning of "a flooding into hospitals around the country" of children with paralyzed arms and paralyzed legs due to "acute flaccid myelitis." 

"They have actually stated that they have seen small outbreaks every two years from 2014, ‘16, ‘18 and they’re expecting an even larger one this year," he says.

This year? Every two years would be 2020, not 2021. 

And 2020 is exactly when the CDC encouraged doctors to be on the lookout for symptoms of acute flaccid myelitis, "an uncommon but serious neurologic condition that affects mostly children."

Featured Fact-check

Facebook posts

stated on April 9, 2024 in a Facebook post

Notice from a New Jersey doctor’s office proves that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous for athletes.

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

According to the CDC, the disease has peaked every two years in the United States between August and November since 2014. 

Because the disease can progress rapidly, leading to permanent paralysis or other problems, delays in care can be serious, the CDC says. The symptoms can look like polio symptoms. 

But the agency didn’t warn of a flood of children suffering from this disease. Since the CDC started tracking it in August 2014, there have been 665 confirmed cases, including 32 cases in 2020 and 15 in 2021.  

Less than one person in a million will ever develop it, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

We rate this post False.