Polio Vaccine

What is Polio?
Polio is a disease caused by a virus.  It enters a victim's body through the mouth.  Sometimes it does not cause serious illness, but other times it causes paralysis or death.

Polio used to be very common in the United States.  It paralyzed and killed thousands of people each year before a vaccine was developed for it.

Who should get Polio vaccine and when?
IPV is a shot, given in the leg or arm, depending on age.  Polio vaccines may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Children

Most people should get Polio vaccine when they are children.  Children get 4 doses of IPV at these ages:

bulletA dose at 2 months
bulletA dose at 4 months
bulletA dose at 6-18 months
bulletA booster dose at 4-6 years

Adults

Most adults do not need Polio vaccine because they were already vaccinated as children.  But three groups of adults are at higher risk and should consider Polio vaccination:

  1. People traveling to areas in the world where Polio is common.
  2. Laboratory workers who might handle Polio virus.
  3. Health care workers treating patients who could have Polio.

Adults in these three groups who have never been vaccinated against Polio should get 3 doses of IPV:

bulletThe first dose at any time.
bulletThe second dose 1 to 2 months later.
bulletThe third dose 6 to 12 months after the second.

Adults in these three groups who have had 1 to 2 doses of Polio vaccine in the past should get the remaining 1 or 2 doses.  It doesn't matter how long it has been since the earlier dose(s).

 

Some people should NOT get IPV or should wait?
These people should NOT get IPV:
bulletAnyone who has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotics: neomycin, streptomycin or polymyxin B should NOT get the Polio shot
bulletAny one who has a severe allergic reaction to a Polio should not get another one

These people should wait:

bulletAnyone who is moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should usually wait until they recover before getting Polio vaccine.  People with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated.

**Ask your health care provider for more information.
What are the risks from IPV?
Some people who get IPV get a sore spot where the shot was given.  The vaccine used today has never been known to cause any serious problems, and most people don't have any problems at all with it.

However, a vaccine, like any medicine, could cause serious problems, such as a severe allergic reactions.  The risk of a Polio shot causing serious harm or death is extremely small.
What if there is a serious reaction?
What should I look for?

Look for any unusual condition, such as a serious allergic reaction, high fever or unusual behavior.

If a serious allergic reaction occurred, it would happen with a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.  Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, weakness, hoarseness or wheezing, as fast heart beat, hives, dizziness, paleness, or swelling of the throat.

What should I do?

bulletCall a doctor or get the person to a doctor right away.
bulletTell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when the vaccination was given.
bulletAsk your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form, or call the VAERS toll-free number yourself at 1-800-822-7967.

** Reporting reactions helps experts learn about possible problems with vaccines.

How can I learn more?
bulletAsk your doctor or nurse.  They can give you the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources of information.
bulletCall your local or state health department's immunization program.
bulletContact the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Call 1-800-232-2522  (English)

Call 1-800-232-0233  (Espanola)

Visit the National Immunization Program's website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/

For more information contact your local health department or physician.