Chloe Ramirez
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a virus that was eradicated in the United States by 1979. However, in rare instances, the virus has been detected in unvaccinated individuals. The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only vaccine given to prevent polio in the U.S. and is administered as a series of four shots. The oral polio vaccine (OPV), which uses a weakened form of the live polio virus, is still used in many parts of the world. While it is not known how long protection lasts, the polio vaccine is considered to provide lifelong immunity, and most adults in the U.S. are presumed to be immune.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does the polio vaccine protect you for life? | Yes, the polio vaccine provides lifelong immunity. |
| Number of doses | Two doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) are 90% effective or more against paralytic polio. Three doses are 99% to 100% effective. Children should get four doses in total. |
| Age for vaccination | The standard age for children to start their polio vaccine schedule is at 2 months old. |
| Second dose | At 4 months, they get their second dose. |
| Third dose | The third dose is given between 6 and 18 months. |
| Fourth dose | The fourth dose is given to children between 4 and 6 years old. |
| Booster dose | Adults who completed their polio vaccination series as children and are at higher risk for polio exposure can receive one lifetime IPV booster. |
| Type of vaccine | There are two types of polio vaccines: inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). The US uses IPV, while many parts of the world still use OPV, which uses a weakened form of the live polio virus. |
| Effectiveness | The polio vaccine is safe and effective at protecting against polio. It has been a profound public health success. |
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What You'll Learn
The polio vaccine is safe and effective
In the early 1960s, Albert Sabin developed the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which uses a weakened form of the live polio virus. However, OPV has the drawback that the attenuated polioviruses can mutate and cause vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP). Due to this risk, in 2000, the U.S. switched from using OPV to IPV. Today, in the U.S., polio has been eliminated, and most individuals are vaccinated. However, polio still occurs in other parts of the world, and there is a risk of the disease being brought into the U.S. by travellers.
The polio vaccine is generally safe, with many people experiencing no side effects at all. The most common side effects are mild and may include soreness where the shot was given. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is an early warning system co-managed by the CDC and FDA that monitors for potential vaccine safety problems. Healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers are required by law to report adverse events following vaccination to VAERS. Findings from vaccine safety monitoring systems and scientific studies have shown that polio vaccines have a favourable safety profile, and the body of scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports their safety.
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The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only vaccine given in the US
The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only vaccine given to prevent polio in the US. It is a safe and effective vaccine that has been used for seven decades. IPV is given as a series of four shots at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months, and again at 4 to 6 years of age. The standard age for children to start their polio vaccine schedule is at 2 months old. At 4 months, they get their second dose, followed by a third dose between 6 and 18 months. The fourth dose is given to children between 4 and 6 years old. If a child is older than this and hasn't been vaccinated yet, parents should speak with their pediatrician to get them vaccinated.
Two doses of IPV are 90% effective or more against paralytic polio, and three doses are 99% to 100% effective. A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received four doses of any combination of IPV and trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) or a primary series of at least three doses of IPV or tOPV. The last dose in either series should be given after 4 years of age and at least 6 months after the previous dose. While it is not known how long people who received IPV will be protected against polio, they are most likely protected for many years after a complete series of IPV.
In 1955, Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine, the inactivated poliovirus vaccine. It is called a trivalent vaccine because it is effective against each of the three types of polioviruses. It is called an inactivated virus vaccine because it uses killed viruses. This vaccine was a huge success, and polio was eliminated from the US by 1979. However, on a few occasions, cases have been identified in the US, including a 2022 case in Rockland County, New York, where an unvaccinated 27-year-old man was paralyzed by poliovirus.
While OPV was an important tool for moving towards polio eradication, it can, in rare instances, revert to the natural or wild type version, causing vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP). These types of poliovirus are called "vaccine-derived polioviruses" (VDPVs). In 2016, the World Health Organization recommended switching from trivalent OPV to bivalent OPV, which only includes types 1 and 3, and introducing a single dose of IPV to provide protection against all types, including type 2.
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The oral polio vaccine (OPV) is used in other parts of the world
The oral polio vaccine (OPV) is a live, weakened form of the poliovirus. It was developed in the early 1960s by Albert Sabin and is administered orally, making it very easy to deliver. OPV was an important tool in the global effort to eradicate polio, leading to a 99.9% reduction in the global incidence of the disease. The ease of delivery led many countries to adopt OPV, and it became the basis of polio eradication efforts.
In 2016, the World Health Organization recommended switching from the trivalent OPV (tOPV) to a bivalent OPV (bOPV) that protects against types 1 and 3 of the poliovirus. This switch was successfully conducted worldwide. The bOPV is still in use in many parts of the world, despite the eventual withdrawal of all OPV being set in motion under the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018.
OPV is safe and effective at protecting against polio, but in rare instances, the live, weakened vaccine virus can revert to the natural or wildtype version. When this happens, it can cause vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP), and the virus can continue to spread. These types of poliovirus are called "vaccine-derived poliovirus" (VDPV).
While the U.S. has used OPV in the past, it now exclusively uses the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which is given as a series of four shots. IPV is also recommended for adults who completed their polio vaccination series as children but are at higher risk for polio exposure.
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The polio vaccine provides lifelong immunity
The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only vaccine given to prevent polio in the US. It is given as a series of four shots at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months, and again at 4 to 6 years of age. Two doses of IPV are 90% effective or more against paralytic polio, and three doses are 99% to 100% effective. A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received four doses of any combination of IPV and trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV), or a primary series of at least three doses of IPV or tOPV. The last dose in either series should be given after 4 years of age and at least 6 months after the previous dose.
The oral polio vaccine (OPV), which uses a weakened form of the live polio virus, is still used in many parts of the world. While OPV was an important tool in the eradication of polio, it can, in rare instances, revert to the natural or wild type version and cause vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP). The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) tracks cases of polio throughout the world each week.
In 2009–2010, a national survey showed that a high percentage of children and adults had protective antibodies against poliovirus, including adults who had received OPV as children decades earlier. While it is not known how long people who received IPV will be protected against polio, they are most likely protected for many years after a complete series of IPV.
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The polio vaccine prevents lifelong paralysis
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a virus that is spread through contact with infected faeces. In a natural polio infection, the virus is ingested, grows in the gut, and is excreted. The risk of lifelong paralysis from polio is very serious, with about 2 to 10 children out of 100 who have paralysis from polio dying from the disease. This is because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe. Before the polio vaccine was approved in 1955, polio was a widely feared disease that largely affected children. Some infected children died, some were paralysed and lost the ability to walk, and others had their breathing muscles paralysed and had to be treated in iron lungs or lived out their lives in breathing machines.
The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only vaccine given to prevent polio in the U.S. IPV is given as a series of four shots at 2 months, 4 months, 6 to 18 months, and again at 4 to 6 years of age. Two doses of IPV are 90% effective or more against paralytic polio, while three doses are 99% to 100% effective. The last dose in either series should be given after 4 years of age and at least 6 months after the previous dose. While it is not known how long people who received IPV will be protected against polio, they are most likely protected for many years after a complete series of IPV. A 2009-2010 national survey showed that a high percentage of children and adults had protective antibodies against poliovirus, including adults who had received oral polio vaccine (OPV) as children decades earlier.
In addition to IPV, there is also an oral polio vaccine (OPV) that uses a weakened form of the live poliovirus. OPV was important for moving towards polio eradication, but it can, in rare instances, revert to the natural or wildtype version and cause vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP). OPV is still used in many parts of the world and was used in the U.S. until 2000.
In summary, the polio vaccine is a public health success that has prevented lifelong paralysis and death in countless individuals. Both IPV and OPV have played a crucial role in reducing the global incidence of polio, with IPV currently being the only vaccine used for polio prevention in the U.S.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the polio vaccine provides lifelong immunity. Two doses of the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) are 90% effective or more against paralytic polio, and three doses are 99% to 100% effective.
Children should receive four doses of the polio vaccine, with the last dose given after four years of age and at least six months after the previous dose.
Yes, there are two types of polio vaccines: the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and the oral polio vaccine (OPV). The IPV is given as a series of four shots, while the OPV is administered orally.
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