Vaccines and Immunizations
Polio Vaccination
Pronounced [PO-lee-oh]
On this Page
What You Should Know
Global Initiatives
- About the Disease
- Vaccine Information
- Beliefs & Concerns
- Vaccine Safety
- Who Should Not be Vaccinated?
Global Initiatives
At a Glance
Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that
lives in the throat and intestinal tract. It is most often spread
through person-to-person contact with the stool of an infected person
and may also be spread through oral/nasal secretions. Polio used to be
very common in the United States and caused severe illness in thousands
of people each year before polio vaccine was introduced in 1955. Most
people infected with the polio virus have no symptoms; however, for the
less than 1% who develop paralysis it may result in permanent disability
and even death.There are two types of vaccine that protect against polio: inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). IPV is given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on the patient's age. Polio vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines. Most people should get polio vaccine when they are children. Children get 4 doses of IPV at these ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and a booster dose at 4-6 years. OPV has not been used in the United States since 2000 but is still used in many parts of the world.
What You Should Know
About the Disease
- Brief description
Symptoms, treatment, transmission, etc. - Questions and Answers
- Polio: Unprotected Story
[2 pages]
The true story of how the U.S. came together in an effort to create a vaccine to protect children from polio. - Images of Polio
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. - Video clips of Polio
Warning: Some of these video images are quite graphic. - History of polio
Smithsonian Museum - Travelers information
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc. - Global polio disease
Global eradication, STOP teams, partners, websites, etc. - Polio basics
Fact sheet offers overview of Polio disease and vaccine risks and benefits
Vaccine Information
A person is considered to be fully immunized if he or she has received a primary series of at least three doses of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), live oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), or four doses of any combination of IPV and OPV. Until recently, the benefits of OPV use (i.e. intestinal immunity, secondary spread) outweighed the risk for vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) which occurred in one child out of every 2.4 million OPV doses distributed. To eliminate the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP), as of January 1, 2000, OPV was no longer recommended for routine immunization in the United States. However, OPV continues to be used in the countries where polio is endemic or the risk of importation and transmission is high. OPV is recommended for global polio eradication activities in polio-endemic countries due to its advantages over IPV in providing intestinal immunity and providing secondary spread of the vaccine to unprotected contacts.- Who needs this vaccine and when?
- Side Effects
Excerpt from Vaccine Information Statement - A Polio-Free US Thanks to Vaccine Efforts
The United States has been polio-free since 1979. But poliovirus is still a threat in some countries. - Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- Questions and Answers
- School Vaccine Requirements
- Interim CDC Guidance for Polio Vaccination for Travel to and from Countries Affected by Wild Poliovirus, MMWR, July 7, 2014
- Polio Vaccine Timeline
Source: History of Vaccines
Beliefs & Concerns
- Debunked: The Polio Vaccine and HIV Link
Source: History of Vaccines
Vaccine Safety
As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.- CDC's Vaccine Safety website
- Are vaccines safe?
FAQs on The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website - Lessening the Pain of Vaccines
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Who Should Not be Vaccinated?
- What if we stopped vaccinating for this disease?
- Who should not be vaccinated with Polio vaccine?
- Pregnancy guidelines
For Health Professionals
Clinical Information on Polio
CDC/Medscape Expert Commentary Video: Ruling Out Poliovirus in Cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis
Most current practitioners have never seen a case of polio. Would you recognize the signs and symptoms? (6:28 minutes) Released Aug 2014- Pink Book's chapter on Polio (Updated April 2011)
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 12th Edition - Pediarix vaccine: questions and answers
- Resources on Proper Vaccine Storage and Handling
Vaccine Recommendations
CDC/Medscape Expert Commentary Video: CDC Interim Guidance: Polio Vaccine Requirements for Travelers Abroad
Temporary polio vaccine recommendations for travelers abroad aim to prevent further spread of poliovirus. (6:20 minutes) Released Dec 2014- ACIP recommendations Updated August 2009
- Contraindications
- Consult package inserts for vaccine storage and handling guidance: (IPOL
, Kinrix
Includes proper storage and handing details, shelf life, reconstitution instructions... - ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution
- Interim CDC Guidance for Polio Vaccination for Travel to and from Countries Affected by Wild Poliovirus, MMWR, July 7, 2014
- CDC HAN 362: Guidance to US Clinicians Regarding New WHO Polio Vaccination Requirements for Travel by Residents of and Long-term Visitors to Countries with Active Polio Transmission, June 2, 2014
References and Resources
- Pink Book's chapter on Polio
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 12th Edition - Vaccines, 5th Edition
(1748 pages, $325.00, 2008©) By Stanley A. Plotkin, MD, Walter A. Orenstein, MD and Paul A. Offit, MD - Surveillance manual's chapter on Polio
- Travelers Health: Yellow Book
- Global polio disease and vaccines
- Infection control guidelines
Materials for Patients
- Polio basics
Fact sheet offers overview of Polio disease and vaccine risks and benefits - Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- History of polio
Smithsonian Institute - Stories of people who suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases
Immunization Action Coalition - Polio: Questions and Answers
Ready-to-print version of CDC-reviewed Q&A material, from Immunization Action Coalition
Global Initiatives
Global Polio Eradication
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This graphic notice means that you are leaving an HHS Web site. For more information, please see the Exit Notification and Disclaimer policy.Also Known As & Abbreviations
- Polio=poliomyelitis
- IPV=inactive polio vaccine
- OPV=oral polio vaccine
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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TTY: (888) 232-6348
Contact CDC-INFO
- Page last reviewed: October 3, 2014
- Page last updated: December 17, 2014
- Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC–INFO
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