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General information - polio
Questions and answers regarding use of combination vaccines
containing IPV may be found here. |
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| What
is the routine schedule for giving IPV to children? |
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| Four doses of polio vaccine (IPV) are routinely recommended for U.S.
children at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years. The
first dose may be
given as early as age 6 weeks. |
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| What is the schedule for older
children who have not completed their IPV series? |
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| The schedule for polio vaccination for
unvaccinated or under-vaccinated older children through age 17 years
is 2 doses of IPV separated by 4–8 weeks, and a third dose 6–12 months
after the second dose. If an accelerated schedule is needed, the child
should receive two doses separated by at least 4 weeks and a third
(final) dose given at least 6 months after the second dose. Polio
vaccine is not routinely administered to persons 18 years of age and
older. |
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| Should adults get vaccinated
against polio? |
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| Routine vaccination of persons 18
years of age and older against polio is not necessary because most
adults are already immune and also have little risk of being exposed
to wild polio virus. Certain adults at increased risk of exposure to
poliovirus and should be vaccinated. This includes travelers to areas
were polio is common (currently limited to Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Nigeria, and certain other countries in sub-Saharan Africa), and
laboratory workers who handle specimens that might contain
polioviruses.
If an adult is at increased risk of
exposure and has never been vaccinated against polio, he or she should
receive three doses of IPV, the first two doses given 1-2 months
apart, and the third 6-12 months after the second.
If an adult at risk previously received
only one or two doses of polio vaccine (either OPV or IPV), he or she
should receive the remaining dose(s) of IPV, regardless of the
interval since the last dose.
If an adult at increased risk previously
completed a primary course of polio vaccine (three or more doses of
either OPV or IPV), he or she may be given another dose of IPV to
ensure protection. Only one "booster" dose of polio vaccine in a
person's lifetime is recommended. It is not necessary to receive a
booster dose each time a person travels to an area where polio may
still occur. |
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| A 4-year-old's vaccine records show
that she had 4 IPVs, given at 2m, 4m, 6m, and age 2. Should she have a
booster dose? |
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| Yes. In June, 2009, ACIP updated its
recommendations to clarify that an additional dose must be given at
age 4-6 years, even if the child previously received 4 doses (either
as IPV or as part of a combination vaccine containing IPV). |
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| Immigrant children often have a
written vaccination record that indicates 4 or more doses of oral
polio vaccine (OPV) given before the fourth birthday. Should these
children receive a dose of IPV at 4 through 6 years of age? |
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| A valid OPV schedule is 4 doses, with
all doses after 6 weeks of age and each separated by at least 4 weeks
from the previous dose. The 4-year minimum age rule for the last dose
applies only to all-IPV schedules. However, state immunization
information systems may not differentiate OPV from IPV, and may
forecast a dose of IPV on or after age 4 years in this situation. So
it would be prudent to contact the state program to find out about
their rule. |
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| We occasionally encounter
teen-agers who received 4 doses of IPV before their fourth birthday.
Should we recommend a 5th dose of IPV for these children? |
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| Generally, no. ACIP revised its
recommendation for IPV in June 2009 to include a dose at 4 through 6
years regardless of the number of doses prior to age 4 years. However,
ACIP did not recommend retroactive application of the new minimum age
rule for the fourth dose. For children receiving their fourth dose
prior to August 7, 2010, four doses separated by at least 4 weeks is
sufficient, unless the teenager is traveling to a polio-endemic area.
But you might want to check with your state immunization registry
manager to see what they accept/expect. Contact information for state
immunization managers can be found at
www.immunize.org/coordinators. |
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| If an immigrant infant has a record
of 1 or 2 doses of OPV in their country of origin how many more doses
of IPV should be given? |
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| OPV is not available in the United
States. Children who initiated the polio vaccination series with one
or more doses of OPV should receive IPV to complete the series. ACIP
recommends that when both OPV and IPV are used four doses of OPV or
IPV in any combination is considered a complete series. As with an
all-IPV series the final dose should be given at 4 through 6 years of
age. |
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| Is it true that IPV can be given
either SC or IM? |
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| Yes. |
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| What is the risk of serious
reactions following IPV? |
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| There are no severe reactions known to
occur following IPV. |
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| Reviewed on 1/13 |
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