Prevention of Polio

Although improved public sanitation and careful personal hygiene may help reduce the spread of polio, the most effective way to prevent the disease is with polio vaccine.

However, efforts to banish polio worldwide face major obstacles. Some communities in parts of the world, concerned about the safety of polio vaccine, have limited immunization efforts. In other areas, war and civil disorder prevent health workers from reaching vulnerable populations. In addition, travelers in unvaccinated populations may unwittingly carry the virus into previously polio-free zones.

Polio Vaccine

Currently, most children in the United States receive four doses of inactivated poliovirus at the following ages :

• 2 months
• 4 months
• Between 6 and 18 months
• A booster shot, between ages 4 and 6 years when children are just entering school

In some states, the fourth shot isn't required if children receive the third shot on or after their fourth birthday.

IPV is 90 percent effective after two shots and 99 percent effective after three. It can't cause polio and is safe for people with weakened immune systems, although it's not certain just how protective the vaccine may be in cases of severe immune deficiency. The most common side effects are swelling and redness at the injection site.

IPV causes a serious allergic reaction in some children and adults. Because the vaccine contains trace amounts of the antibiotics streptomycin, polymyxin B and neomycin, it shouldn't be given to anyone who's sensitive to these medications.

Signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction usually occur within minutes to a few hours after the shot and may include :

• High fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Weakness
• Hoarseness or wheezing
• Rapid heart rate
• Hives
• Dizziness
• Unusual paleness
• Swelling of the throat

If your child experiences an allergic reaction after any shot, get medical help immediately.

Fewer shots for your child

Polio vaccine is normally given in conjunction with other vaccinations, including diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP); hepatitis B- Haemophilus influenzae type b (HBV-Hib); and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). But your child may not need to receive all these injections separately.

A combination vaccine called Pediarix is available that reduces the number of injections given during the first two years of life. Pediarix combines DTaP, hepatitis B and polio into a single vaccine. It's available worldwide, with the exception of Canada. Side effects of Pediarix are the same as those of the individual vaccines administered separately.

Adult vaccination

In the U.S., adults aren't routinely vaccinated against polio because most are already immune and the chances of contracting wild polio are minimal. However, certain adults at high risk of polio who have had a primary vaccination series with either IPV or OPV should receive a single booster dose of IPV. A single booster dose of IPV lasts a lifetime. Adults at risk include those who are traveling to parts of the world where polio still occurs or those who care for people who may be excreting wild poliovirus or poliovirus from live OPV.

If you're unvaccinated or your vaccination status is undocumented, you should receive a primary polio vaccination series with IPV two doses at four- to eight-week intervals and a third dose six to 12 months after the second dose.

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