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MONOVALENT ORAL POLIOVIRUS VACCINE
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the two types of polio vaccine?
- IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) is an injection supplied in a single dose and is the recommended polio vaccine for almost everyone in the U.S. today. IPV was licensed in November 1987, and first became available in 1988.
- OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) is a live vaccine which is drops that are swallowed. Use of OPV was discontinued in the U.S. in 2000.
2. What is oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV)?
OPV is a live, oral polio vaccine which is drops that are swallowed.
Until recently, OPV was recommended for most children in the United States. But it is no longer recommended except in limited circumstances. OPV helped rid the U.S. of polio, and it is still used in many parts of the world. Both IPV and OPV give immunity to polio, but OPV is better at keeping the disease from spreading to other people.
3. What is monovalent oral poliovirus vaccine (mOPV) type 1?
Three types of wild poliovirus, known as type 1, type 2, and type 3, cause poliomyelitis. Monovalent oral polio vaccine (mOPV) provides an increased “type-specific” immunity to poliovirus compared to trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV), which includes three types of poliovirus in a live-attenuated form that gives protection against all three types of wild polioviruses. Where mOPV type 1 only provides immunity to poliovirus type 1 only, it provides better protection against type 1 than tOPV does.
4. What are the risks from OPV?
OPV can, rarely, actually cause polio. That is why it is no longer recommended for most people. It caused several cases of polio each year (about 1 case for every 2.4 million doses of vaccine) during the years it was used. OPV can cause polio in people who get the vaccine or in people who are in close contact with them. Today, with polio under control in the U.S., experts believe IPV can protect children and adults just as well, without the risk.
A vaccine, like any medicine, could cause other serious problems, such as a severe allergic reaction. The risk of OPV causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.
5. Are there any special precautions that should be taken with refugees who have received OPV?
No special precautions need to be taken. OPV is the WHO recommended standard of care in most countries and many individuals enter the U.S. from these countries annually.