Epidemics of poliomyelitis have crippled thousands of people across the globe, striking mostly young children with paralysis and muscle weakness. In 1952, in the United States alone, nearly 60,000 cases of poliomyelitis were recorded, with more than 3,000 deaths reported, according to Kids Health. Poliomyelitis is caused by by all three strains of the polio virus, each of which is extremely infectious. Development and widespread distribution of polio vaccines has eradicated polio from most countries, and reduced the worldwide incidence from 350,000 cases in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2005, according to an article in published in October 2006 in "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report."
Oral Polio Vaccine
In a key breakthrough, Albert Sabin demonstrated that growing the polio virus in monkey cells induced mutations which can prevent the virus from infecting a human host. Administration of polio virus which had been inactivated in this way induces a potent protective immune response, according to an article published in August 1960 in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."
The ease of administration combined with the potent immune response to the oral polio vaccine led to widespread distribution throughout the world. Immunity to all three strains of polio virus was induced in approximately 50 percent of recipients in response to one dose of this vaccine, whereas three doses protected 95 percent, according to an article published in January 1947 in "Public Health Reports."
Inactivated Polio Vaccine
In 1952, Jonas Salk developed the first effective polio vaccine when treatment with the chemical formalin inactivated different strains of the virus. Subsequent injection of the inactivated virus into patients triggered a protective immune response against the polio virus, according to a 2005 paper published in "Annual Review of Microbiology." Since 1987, a modified version of this vaccine, which induces an even greater immune response, has been the treatment of choice in America.
Side Effects
Unlike the inactivated polio vaccine, the oral polio vaccine uses a live version of the polio virus, and rare incidents of oral vaccine-induced poliomyelitis have been reported, according to an article published in December 2004 in the "Journal of Virology." The inactivated polio vaccine is extremely safe and no serious adverse effects have been reported. However, minor local reactions at the site of the injection such as pain and redness are not uncommon, according to the website Vaccine Information.
References
- PubMed: "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report": Update on Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses
- PubMed: "Annual Review of Microbiology": Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses and the Endgame Strategy for Global Polio Eradication
- PubMed: "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Live, Orally Given Poliovirus Vaccine
- PubMed: "Public Health Reports": Weekly Reports for OCTOBER 10, 1947
- PubMed: "Journal of Virology": Circulation of Type 1 Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus in the Philippines in 2001
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