Paul Alexander, widely known as "Polio Paul", has died after spending over 70 years inside an iron lung.

Paul contracted polio in the summer of 1952 when he was six years old and was left paralysed from the neck down.

He woke up inside the metal cylinder where he would spend the rest of his life.

An update on his GoFundMe page by its organiser Christopher Ulmer reads: "Paul Alexander, 'The Man in the Iron Lung', passed away yesterday.

"After surviving polio as a child, he lived over 70 years inside of an iron lung.

"In this time Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author.

"His story travelled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world. Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered."

Mr Ulmer said he met and interviewed Mr Alexander in 2022.

Mr Alexander's brother, Philip, said in a statement posted by Mr Ulmer on the web page that he was grateful "to everybody who donated to my brother's fundraiser".

"It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free," he said.

"It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time.

"It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful."

Mr Ulmer added: "Paul, you will be missed but always remembered. Thanks for sharing your story with us."

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Polio in the UK

There have been no confirmed cases of paralysis due to polio caught in the UK since 1984.

Although some poliovirus has been found in sewage from London recently, the risk of getting it remains extremely low.

The chance of getting ill from polio is higher if you are not fully vaccinated, so it's important to make sure you, and your child, are up to date with your vaccines.

Washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day also helps you avoid catching and spreading viruses.

Polio vaccination

The best way to prevent polio is to make sure you and your child are up to date with your vaccinations.

The polio vaccine is part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule.

The polio vaccine is given to children at:

  • 8, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine
  • 3 years, 4 months old as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster
  • 14 years old as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster

You need all 5 of these vaccinations to be fully vaccinated against polio.

You can contact your GP surgery to check if you, or your child, are up to date with your polio vaccinations. For children and babies, you can also check their personal child health record (red book).

If you are not up to date, book an appointment with your GP surgery to get vaccinated free on the NHS.

Key bits to consider:

You can have a polio vaccination at any point if you've never had one before, even if you're not travelling to a country with a risk of getting polio.

You should also get vaccinated even if you've had polio before as it protects against different types of polio.