Welcome to polio.com!
Overview
Polio was one of the most dreaded childhood diseases of the 20th century
in the United States. Polio epidemics crippled thousands of people, mostly
young children, each year.1
Most of us don't remember how terrified parents were that polio would
leave their children unable to walk or force them to spend the rest of
their lives in an iron lung.
Since the polio vaccines became available, the disease has more or less disappeared
from the US and the Western Hemisphere. But it still occurs in some parts of the world...1,2
A single infection brought into the US by someone traveling from a country
where polio still persists could possibly lead to polio epidemics again
if we were not protected. That is why we continue to vaccinate.
Sources:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases: The
Pink Book. 9th ed. Washington, DC: Public Health Foundation; 2006:97-110. 2.
CDC. National Immunization Program. What would happen if we stopped
vaccinations? Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/fs/gen/WhatIfStop.htm.
Accessed March 8, 2005.
3. World Health Organization (WHO). Polio eradication:
now more than ever, stop polio forever. Available at: http://www.who.int/features/2004/polio/en.
Accessed March 22,2005.
Safety Information
IPOL (Poliovirus Vaccine Inactivated) is given to infants (as young as 6 weeks of age), children, and adults to prevent polio caused by poliovirus Types 1, 2, and 3. As with any vaccine, vaccination with IPOL vaccine may not protect 100% of individuals. There are risks associated with all vaccines. The most common side effects with IPOL vaccine may include fever, fussiness, and drowsiness. Other side effects may occur. IPOL vaccine should not be given to persons who have had a serious allergic reaction after a previous dose of the vaccine. When administering an intramuscular injection, like IPOL vaccine, in people with bleeding disorders, caution should be exercised because they may develop a serious bruise or collection of blood at the injection site. If you notice any other problems or symptoms following vaccination, please contact your health-care professional immediately.
For more information about IPOL vaccine, talk to your health-care professional.
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