When to seek Medical Advice

In the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records show that the last case of wild polio occurred in 1979. Between 1980 and 1999, however, the CDC found that144 people developed paralytic polio from exposure to the live virus in the oral polio vaccine. For that reason, only vaccine containing inactivated virus has been used in the U.S. since 2000.

In countries that use OPV, paralytic polio risk to travelers is low, but is not zero. Be sure to check with your doctor for polio vaccination recommendations before traveling to a part of the world where polio may still occur or OPV is used.

Call your doctor if :

• Your child hasn't completed the series of polio vaccinations
• Your child experiences an allergic reaction after receiving polio vaccine
• Your child has problems other than a mild redness or soreness at the injection site
• You have questions about adult vaccination or other concerns about polio immunization
• You had polio years ago and are now experiencing unexplained weakness and fatigue

The above information thankfully comes from the Mayo Clinic.com at the following link.