Polio (Poliomyelitis) Vaccination: Information for Health Care Providers

What to know

Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only polio vaccine that has been given in the United States since 2000. Polio vaccination has been part of the routine childhood immunization schedule in the United States for decades.

Polio vaccination recommendations

Also known as and abbreviations

  • Polio=poliomyelitis
  • IPV=inactive polio vaccine
  • OPV=oral polio vaccine

CDC recommends that all children get 4 doses of polio vaccine as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. Most adults born and raised in the United States can assume they were vaccinated for polio. Adults with increased risk of exposure to poliovirus may receive one lifetime IPV booster.

Keep Reading Polio Vaccine Recommendations

Contraindications and precautions

Contraindications and precautions to vaccination generally dictate circumstances when vaccines will not be given.

Polio vaccine composition, dosage, administration, and administration errors

Two inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) products that are not combination vaccines are licensed in the United States. However, only IPOL® is still used in the United States. POLIOVAX® has been discontinued.

Single-antigen IPV (IPOL) is distributed in 10-dose vials. The recommended dose for both children and adults is 0.5 mL. It can be administered by the intramuscular or subcutaneous route, using a needle length appropriate for the age and size of the person receiving the vaccine.

Preferred injection sites:

  • Infants and small children: anterolateral aspect of the thigh
  • Older children and adults: deltoid muscle for intramuscular injection or the posterior aspect of the upper arm for subcutaneous injection

Some combination vaccines (several different vaccines in the same shot) contain IPV, such as Pentacel (DTaP-IPV/Hib), Pediarix (DTaP-IPV-HepB), Kinrix (DTaP-IPV), VAXELIS (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB), or Quadracel (DTaP-IPV). For more information about using these combination vaccines, please refer to You Call the Shots: Polio, section on vaccine administration.

For package inserts, see IPOL, Kinrix, Pediarix, Pentacel, VAXELIS, and Quadracel.

People who got IPV but should not have because of contraindications should be monitored for adverse reactions. Any adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) at 1-800-822-7967 or through the VAERS website.

Polio vaccine effectiveness and duration of protection

Learn about polio vaccine duration of protection.

Resources

View polio vaccine resources and clinical information.

Print
Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Immunization Services Division