The Differences Between the Two Polio Vaccines —and the New One on the Horizon

Before this year, polio didn’t feel like an urgent threat. The disease was eradicated in the U.S. in 1979, and thanks to a global vaccination campaign, it’s endemic (though far from widespread) in just two countries—Pakistan and Afghanistan. But the calculus changed in 2022. In July, an unvaccinated man in New York state contracted polio. And this year, poliovirus has circulated in wastewater in London, Jerusalem, and—as recently as Oct. 28—in New York City and several surrounding counties. “Unvaccinated and undervaccinated in these areas are at risk for paralysis disease,” researchers wrote in a report announcing the new New York findings. Anyone who falls into that category “should complete the vaccination series as soon as possible.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Paradoxically though, one of the two types of polio vaccines is playing a role in the recent spread. To combat the outbreak, the U.S. government is considering rolling out yet a third variety of vaccine. Here’s what you need to know about the two different polio vaccines, the new one on the horizon, and how to keep your family safe. The differences between the two polio vaccines The first polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and approved in the U.S. in 1955, is known as the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). It is administered by injection and uses a killed poliovirus to familiarize the immune system with the disease and prime it to re...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthscienceclimate Vaccines Source Type: news