Polio Vaccination: Information for Healthcare Professionals
In July 2022, CDC was notified of a case of polio in an unvaccinated individual from Rockland County, New York, and is working with the New York State Department of Health on their investigation. Learn more.
This effort does not change CDC recommendations for polio vaccination. CDC urges everyone at increased risk of exposure to poliovirus who is not fully vaccinated to complete the polio vaccination series as soon as possible. New York residents can see their state and county recommendations at health.ny.gov/polio or nyc.gov/health/polio.
Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is the only polio vaccine that has been given in the United States since 2000. It is given by shot in the arm or leg, depending on the person’s age. CDC recommends that all children get four doses of polio vaccine as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. Children who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated should complete a polio vaccine series.
Most adults residing in the United States are presumed to be protected against polio because they received routine childhood immunization and have only a small risk of exposure to poliovirus in the United States.
Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adults who are at increased risk of exposure to poliovirus should receive and complete the polio vaccination series with IPV. Other adults who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated should talk with their doctor to understand their risk for polio and need for polio vaccination. Adults who are completely vaccinated but are at increased risk for exposure to poliovirus, including international travelers, laboratory workers, and healthcare workers, may receive a single lifetime booster dose of IPV.
You Call the Shots is an interactive, web-based immunization training course. It consists of a series of modules that discuss vaccine-preventable diseases and explain the latest recommendations for vaccine use. Each module provides learning opportunities, self-test practice questions, reference and resource materials, and an extensive glossary.
The “Pink Book” contains the most comprehensive information on routinely used vaccines and the diseases they prevent.
Six reference appendices include: vaccine minimum ages and intervals, current and discontinued vaccines, vaccine contents, foreign vaccine terms, and more.