Polio Vaccine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Polio Vaccine - Research Paper Example Polio victims constitute the vulnerable members of the population such as young children, pregnant women and people suffering from low immunity weakened by other medical conditions. Other risk factors associated with polio transmission include visiting polio prone areas, living with people suffering from the infection, working in the laboratory where scientists have kept live polio virus and removing tonsils. Poliovirus enters the environment through feces of an infected person. Transmission occurs through fecal-oral route via contaminated food and water. Additionally, direct contact with a victim can cause the transmission of poliovirus. People who stay close to one another for some time can experience the transfer of the virus from the infected to the new victim since it is highly contagious. The worst symptoms of polio are paralysis and death. Nonparalytic polio causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and sore throat, vomiting, back and neck pain and muscle spasms, which last for a few days (John & Vashishtha, 2012). Forms of Polio Vaccines The forms of polio vaccines that have been recommended include inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine IPV consists of a series of injections, which begin at two months after birth and continue until a child attains the age of four to six years. The reason for administering three spaced dozes is to generate adequate levels of seroconversion. Most countries consider adding a booster dose during adulthood. The inactivated poliovirus vaccine is created from inactivated poliovirus. Inactive poliovirus is safe and effective, thus cannot cause polio. Inactivated polio vaccine is made from killed wild-type poliovirus strains of each serotype. Doctors recommend lone dissemination for IPV or