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FAQs
on Polio Vaccine
Clinical
questions & answers
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General questions:
Vaccine handling,
storage & injection technique related:
Vaccine use,
recommendations & schedule related:
Contraindications,
precautions & adverse events related:
- Why
did CDC and ACIP change the polio vaccination
schedule to an all-IPV series?
The CDC and
ACIP changed the polio schedule in 2000 because
the only indigenously acquired polio in the
U.S. since 1980 had been due to the vaccine,
while there had been no polio cases due to
the wild poliovirus. The ACIP determined
that the risk-benefit ratio associated with
the exclusive use of the OPV for routine
immunization had changed because of the rapid
progress in global polio eradication efforts.
In particular, the benefits of OPV had diminished
in importance due to the elimination of wild
virus associated poliomyelitis in the Western
Hemisphere since 1991 and the reduced threat
of poliovirus importation into the U.S.
Conversely,
the risk of vaccine-associated poliomyelitis
due to OPV, which caused an average of 8-9
reported cases of paralytic polio each year,
was judged less acceptable due to the absence
of indigenous disease and reduced risk of
imported infection.
Consequently,
in 1996 the ACIP and CDC recommended a transition
policy to increase use of IPV and decrease
use of OPV, and in 2000 recommended exclusive
use of IPV.
- Isn't
IPV less effective than
OPV?
No. The IPV
that has been used in the U.S. since 1987
is as effective as OPV for preventing polio
in the recipient. After two doses of IPV,
90% or more of recipients have protective
antibody levels to all types of poliovirus,
and after three doses more than 99% have
protective antibodies.
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| Vaccine
handling, storage & injection technique
related questions: |
- Previously,
IPV was recommended to be administered SQ
only. Now I've read that it may also be given
IM. Is this correct?
IPV is approved
for either subcutaneous or intramuscular
administration.
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| Vaccine
use, recommendations & schedule related
questions: |
- After
what age is routine polio vaccine no longer
recommended?
Routine polio
vaccination is not recommended for persons
18 years of age and older who reside in the
United States.
- What
is the IPV schedule for unvaccinated children
4–18 years of age?
The schedule
for routine polio vaccination of children
4–17 years of age is 2 doses of IPV separated
by 4–8 weeks, and a third dose 6–12 months
after the second dose. If an accelerated
schedule is needed, three doses separated
by at least 4 weeks may be given. Polio vaccine
is not routinely administered to persons
18 years of age and older.
- If a
child received 4 doses of IPV before
the 2nd birthday, with at least
4 weeks between doses, is a 5th dose necessary?
ACIP recommends
that the fourth dose in the polio series
be given at school entry (4-6 years of age),
mainly to assure long-term protection. But
a child who has received a total of four
doses of polio vaccine at least 4 weeks apart
does not need a fifth dose at school entry.
However, some
states mandate a dose of polio vaccine to
be administered on or after 4 years of age
as a requirement for school entry. In this
situation just give a fifth dose at school
entry. There is no harm in giving an additional
dose.
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| Contraindications,
precautions & adverse events related
questions: |
- What
is the risk of serious reactions following
IPV?
There are
no serious reactions known to occur following
IPV.
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