AUGUSTA – The annual post polio conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Calumet Club. A fee of $10 includes lunch. The conference is open to anyone interested in knowing more about the late effects of polio.

Polio has not disappeared. According to the Center for Disease Control, as of 2006, about 93 percent of the total population in the U.S. was vaccinated against polio. For children between 19 and 35 months, the percentage drops to 77 percent, and children can be the most susceptible to the virus. These percentages mean that there are thousands of people who could easily spread the virus.

A nationwide campaign is scheduled between Oct. 14 and 20 to let people know that there are 20 million polio survivors in the world, with about 1,200 here in Maine. Some appear to have fully recovered, but others have experienced an increase in muscle weakness, pain, fatigue, cold intolerance, breathing or swallowing difficulties.

It is estimated that between 25 and 40 percent of polio survivors are experiencing signs of post polio syndrome, while as many as 70 percent are experiencing some kind of late effects of polio.

To learn more about polio and its late effects, check out the Maine Web site at www.ppsgm.org, which provides links to reputable state, national and international polio-related sites. The site provides information about the conference on Oct. 6, or people may call 724-3784.