Vaccination against polio
Poliomyelitis is caused by an infection with the poliovirus. There is a vaccination against the poliovirus. This vaccination is a dead vaccine and contains inactivated parts of the poliovirus.
According to the STIKO (permanent vaccination commission of the Robert Koch Institute), basic immunization is planned after the second month of life, the third month of life and the fourth month of life, and after eleven to fourteen months of life. Thereafter, a booster vaccination is recommended at the age of 9 to 17 years. When travelling to countries where the vaccination rate against the poliovirus is not yet very high, a booster vaccination in adulthood is recommended.
The vaccination is well tolerated and in rare cases can lead to vaccination reactions or allergic reactions. Vaccination reactions include redness of the injection site or muscle pain and fever. Allergic reactions are extremely rare. A vaccination against the poliovirus is recommended.
Is polio curable?
Polio is not curable. In 98% of cases, the infection proceeds like a flu-like infection without affecting the central nervous system. If the central nervous system is affected after all, a cure is not possible.
The disease then leads to paralysis of the muscles, which can extend to the respiratory muscles. If this is the case, the disease has a lethal outcome. The only preventive measure against polio is therefore vaccination against the poliovirus.
Polio can be a very dangerous disease caused by an RNA virus of the enterovirus group. Due to the high vaccination rate, polio has become very rare in Germany. Nevertheless, if possible all children should be vaccinated according to the guidelines, as the virus continues to occur frequently, especially in developing countries.
The symptoms can be very different and range from mild virus infection symptoms with fever and fatigue to severe paralysis. Particularly dangerous and life-threatening is the paralysis of the diaphragm and the central respiratory center, which makes mechanical ventilation vital. In addition, the after-effects of paralysis can last a lifetime.
Neurological abnormalities and deficits can also persist for life. The worst complication is death from respiratory failure. For this reason, adequate intensive medical treatment is necessary if complications are suspected.
