Polio Vaccines

Poliomyelitis, more commonly know as Polio is a viral disease caused by the virus conveniently named poliovirus. There are 3 different types or strains of the virus that can infect humans. All 3 of the strains cause similar symptoms but have to be targeted differently due to their different genome and virology. However, there have been vaccines developed for the virus and it has essentially been eradicated.

There are 2 different kinds of vaccines available for polio. The first is the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV). As the name implies, this vaccine contains an inactivated or killed virus so that the immune system can defend against the virus without risking an infection. This form of vaccine is injected into the bloodstream. Officials are steering away from this vaccine because there are diminishing numbers of poliovirus available to make the vaccine. The other vaccine available is called the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). This vaccine contains a mixture of 3 Sabin serotypes of attenuated poliovirus and is taken orally. The Sabin types are used because they have a lesser chance of being spread and are not as virulent as the virus. Due to its cheap and easy production and the simplicity of the drug administration, this vaccine is used more often than IPV. If I were to get vaccinated today or if I had kids and were giving them vaccinations I would give them the OPV is a series as directed because in my humble opinion, that would be most effective.

Polio is now nearly eradicated but not quite. 2 out of the 3 types have been eradicated but the wild type 1 is still prevalent. Type 1 is on its way out but we need to continue the eradication efforts to finally knock the virus off of the face of the earth. This means people need to continue to be vaccinated. People refusing to vaccinate their children not only puts their kids in danger, but also allows viruses like polio to make comebacks and stay present on Earth. In conclusion, as long as we all act like competent human beings and vaccinate our children and ourselves, we can fully eradicate the poliovirus from this beautiful planet of ours.