INACTIVATED POLIO VACCINE

IPV

The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is administered to prevent polio, a potentially serious disease that can cause paralysis in some infected individuals. Thanks to a highly effective vaccination program, polio has been virtually eradicated from the United States and is close to being eliminated globally. However, polio still occurs in some countries each year. Therefore, it remains crucial to vaccinate our children to ensure they are protected should the virus be brought into the U.S. from abroad.

Side effects of the inactivated polio vaccine are rare. Some grandparents might recall their children receiving an oral polio vaccine (OPV), which contained a live, weakened virus. The vaccine was placed on a sugar cube and given orally to a whole generation of children. Due to rare but severe reactions, such as vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis, the oral vaccine has been replaced in the U.S. with the inactivated (killed virus) form, known as IPV. The IPV is administered via injection and does not carry the risk of causing vaccine-associated paralysis that was associated with the oral polio vaccine. OPV is still used in many countries, such as India.

Maintaining up-to-date polio vaccinations remains essential as part of a global effort to eradicate the disease and protect against potential out- breaks.