Do Parents Vaccinate Their Kids Against Polio?

The CDC recommends that all children in the United States receive four doses of the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) as part of their routine childhood vaccination schedule. This includes children who have not started their polio vaccine series or are delayed in getting all recommended doses. Most adults born and raised in the United States do not need the polio vaccine because they were already vaccinated against polio. The polio vaccine is very safe and effective at preventing polio, and doctors recommend that your child get four doses of the polio vaccine (IPV) for best protection.

Vaccine hesitancy remains a problem, especially when unvaccinated children live in clusters. Children usually get the IPV at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years. Sometimes, IPV is given in a combination vaccine with other vaccines. The current recommended schedule is a dose of the inactivated vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, with a booster dose at 4 to 6 years of age.

Polio vaccine is a core component of the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule and required by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for all school-aged children. State laws requiring polio vaccines for children often also apply to private schools, but not always. Some states allow non-medical or non-medical children to be vaccinated.

To eliminate polio completely, every child in every household must be vaccinated, but thousands of children are still missing out on the polio vaccine.

How long does polio vaccine last in humans?

If you haven’t completed the minimum of five polio-containing vaccine doses, you may need additional doses before traveling. If you have completed the minimum, you should have a booster dose if it’s more than 10 years since previous doses. Check the Vaccinations and Alerts sections of each country’s page for vaccination and certificate requirements, and consult your travel health advisor if unsure. Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered the countries with the highest risk, but polio outbreaks can occur in other countries.

What year did they stop giving the polio vaccine?

The polio vaccine has been available since 1955, with the inactivated vaccine (IPV) first available as a shot in 1955. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) was developed in 1961 and was recommended for use in the United States for almost 40 years. OPV was weakened by growing three strains of poliovirus in monkey kidney cells, causing an immune response but not causing disease. OPV induced antibodies in the intestines, providing a “first line” of defense against polio. However, OPV could revert back to its natural form, causing paralysis.

IPV, unlike OPV, cannot reproduce itself and cannot revert back to natural polio. To make IPV, poliovirus is purified and killed with formaldehyde. IPV elicits antibodies in the bloodstream, preventing the virus from traveling through the blood to the brain or spinal cord, preventing paralysis. This “second line” of defense against infection is why only IPV is recommended for polio prevention in the United States since 2000.

How do I find out if my child has had polio vaccine?

To ensure you and your child are up-to-date with polio vaccinations, contact your GP surgery or check their child health record. If you’re not, book an appointment with your GP surgery to get vaccinated free on the NHS. Vaccination can be done at any time, even if you’re not traveling to a country with a polio risk, and it’s important to get vaccinated even if you’ve had polio before.

Does my childhood polio vaccine still protect me?

The duration of protection against poliovirus is unknown, but it is likely to last for many years after a complete series of vaccinations. A 2009-2010 national survey showed that a high percentage of children and adults have protective antibodies against poliovirus, including adults who received the vaccine as children. However, adults who completed their childhood vaccinations and are at higher risk for polio exposure can receive a lifetime IPV booster.

Does polio vaccine provide lifelong immunity?

Trivalent OPV (Oral Poliovirus) is a widely used vaccine that provides immunity to all three poliovirus serotypes in approximately 50 of recipients. Live-attenuated OPV produces protective antibodies to all three poliovirus types in over 95 of recipients, and immunity initiated by OPV is likely lifelong. OPV also produces excellent immunity in the intestine, the primary site of wild poliovirus entry, which helps prevent infection with wild virus in areas where the virus is endemic.

Oral administration does not require special medical equipment or extensive training, and attenuated poliovirus derived from the oral polio vaccine is excreted for a few days after vaccination, potentially infecting and indirectly inducing immunity in unvaccinated individuals.

However, OPV has a primary disadvantage due to its inherent nature. As an attenuated but active virus, it can induce vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) in approximately one individual per every 2. 7 million doses administered. The live virus can persist in under-vaccinated populations and revert to a neurovirulent form causing paralytic polio over time. This genetic reversal takes a considerable time and does not affect the person who was originally vaccinated.

Until recently, a trivalent OPV containing all three virus strains nearly eradicated polio infection worldwide. However, the phased out trivalent vaccine in 2016 and the associated missing immunity against type 2 strains led to outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), which increased from 2 cases in 2016 to 1037 cases in 2020.

How long is a polio shot good for?

The polio vaccine provides lifelong immunity, so no testing is recommended for confirmation of prior vaccination, even if documentation is unavailable. If an adult knows they were not vaccinated as a child, they should consult their doctor about getting vaccinated. Those who were vaccinated as a child but are now traveling to a high-risk country or at risk for polio exposure should discuss the need for a booster dose with their doctor.

When did they stop vaccinating for polio?

The polio vaccine has been available since 1955, with the inactivated vaccine (IPV) first available as a shot in 1955. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) was developed in 1961 and was recommended for use in the United States for almost 40 years. OPV was weakened by growing three strains of poliovirus in monkey kidney cells, causing an immune response but not causing disease. OPV induced antibodies in the intestines, providing a “first line” of defense against polio. However, OPV could revert back to its natural form, causing paralysis.

IPV, unlike OPV, cannot reproduce itself and cannot revert back to natural polio. To make IPV, poliovirus is purified and killed with formaldehyde. IPV elicits antibodies in the bloodstream, preventing the virus from traveling through the blood to the brain or spinal cord, preventing paralysis. This “second line” of defense against infection is why only IPV is recommended for polio prevention in the United States since 2000.

Do adults need a polio booster?

The text provides guidance for adults who have not been vaccinated against polio or who have incomplete vaccination records to receive and complete the polio vaccination series with IPV. Individuals who have completed the polio vaccination series but who are at an elevated risk may receive a lifetime IPV booster. Situations that increase exposure include fully vaccinated adults and those who have received three or more doses of the vaccine in the past.

Is polio vaccine for life?

Polio is a highly contagious disease that can be prevented through vaccination. The development of effective vaccines to prevent paralytic polio was a significant medical breakthrough of the 20th century. There are six different types of polio vaccines: Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), Trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV), Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), and Monovalent oral polio vaccines (mOPV1, mOPV2, and mOPV3).

High levels of vaccination coverage are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading and preventing outbreaks. By vaccinating enough people in a community, the virus will be deprived of susceptible hosts and die out.

Are you vaccinated for polio as a child?

Vaccination is the best way to protect against polio, or poliomyelitis, and has been part of the routine childhood immunization schedule in the United States for decades. Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only polio vaccine given in the US since 2000, while oral polio vaccine (OPV) is used in other countries. Since 2000, only IPV has been used to eliminate the risk of polio variants that can occur with OPV.

What age are you fully vaccinated against polio?

The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends the use of the inactivated poliovirus (IPV)-containing vaccine for infants and children in a four-dose schedule at 2, 4, and 6 months and 4 years of age. The first dose can be administered to infants as early as six weeks of age.