Poliomyelitis vaccination (synonym: polio vaccination) is a standard immunization (regular vaccination) given using an inactivated polio vaccine (abbreviated IPV; inactivated polio vaccine). Poliomyelitis (polio) is caused by the poliovirus and can lead to paralysis, especially of the legs. However, most often the disease is either asymptomatic – with no apparent symptoms – or mild flu-like symptoms. The following are the recommendations of the Standing Commission on Vaccination (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute on poliomyelitis vaccination:
Indications (areas of application)
- S/A: All persons with absent or incomplete basic immunization All persons without a single booster vaccination.
- I: Vaccination is indicated for the following groups of persons (due toincreased individual risk):
- Travelers to regions with risk of infection (the current epidemic situation should be noted, especially the WHO reports).
- Repatriates, refugees and asylum seekers living in collective accommodation, when entering from areas at risk of poliomyelitis.
- B: staff of the above facilities (due toincreased occupational risk).
- Medical personnel who may have close contact with diseased persons.
- Personnel in laboratories with poliomyelitis risk.
Legend
- S: Standard vaccinations with general application.
- A: booster vaccinations
- I: Indication vaccinations for risk groups with individual (not occupational) increased risk of exposure, disease or complications and for the protection of third parties.
- B: Vaccinations due to an increased occupational risk, e.g., after risk assessment in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act / Biological Substances Ordinance / Ordinance on Occupational Medical Precautions (ArbMedVV) and / or for the protection of third parties in the context of occupational activities.
Contraindications
- Persons with acute diseases requiring treatment.
- Individuals who showed intolerance to a previous vaccination with the vaccine in question
- Allergy to vaccine components (see manufacturer’s supplements).
- Pregnant women should be vaccinated against poliomyelitis only in exceptional cases when exposure is considered very high.
Implementation
- Today, only vaccination with inactivated vaccine to be injected (IPV) is recommended.
- Basic immunization: three doses of vaccine at 2, 4 and 11 months of age are recommended for basic immunization against poliomyelitis in infancy.
- Today, there is the possibility of performing combination vaccinations, so that children are effectively protected against the infectious diseases with relatively few vaccinations. The six-vaccination schedule protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B. The current reduced “2+1 schedule” for the six-vaccination schedule is as follows: At 8 weeks of age, the vaccination series is started and subsequent vaccinations are given at the recommended times at 4 and 11 months of age. Between the 2nd and 3rd vaccination doses, a minimum interval of 6 months must be observed.
- Repeat vaccination: age 15-23 months and 2-6 years.
- Booster vaccinations for:
- Children between the age of nine and 17 (= last IPV booster vaccination).
- Repatriates, refugees and asylum seekers entering the country from areas with a high risk of infection, living in collective housing.
- Occupational groups (due toincreased occupational risk).
- Staff in shelters inhabited by repatriates, refugees and asylum seekers.
- Personnel in laboratories with poliomyelitis risk.
- Medical personnel with close contact with diseased persons.
- Travelers to regions with a high risk of infection, such as India.
Notice. Previously performed vaccination with live polio vaccine (OPV) administered orally on a sugar stick is no longer recommended due to the low risk of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis.
Efficacy
- Reliable efficacy against all 3 types
- Vaccine protection after complete immunization for at least 10 years
- Vaccination protection in immunodeficiency questionable, if necessary antibody determination.
Possible side effects / vaccination reactions
- Local reactions possible
Further notes
- Polio vaccination is carried out in 155 countries – in contrast to Germany (inactivated viruses) – with an attenuated live vaccine. This was changed in 2016 (April) from the trivalent to a bivalent vaccine (serotypes 2 and 3), which is intended to curb the incidence of polio disease caused by mutated vaccine viruses (circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, cVDPV).
Vaccination status – control of vaccine titers
| Vaccination | Laboratory parameters | Value | Rating |
| Poliomyelitis (polio) | Polio neutralization test | Type 1 | If all three neutralization tests are 1: 16 or higher, immunity to all three poliomyelitis virus types (types 1, 2, 3) is present (= sufficient immune protection) |
| type 2 | |||
| Type 3 |
