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How Does OPV Relate to the Polio Virus?

OPV stands for oral polio vaccine. It was once used in the United States and is still used in many other countries as a very effective method of immunizing people against the polio virus. Though effective, OPV caused actual polio to develop in some people to whom it was administered, and it is no longer a recommended vaccine against polio in the United States.

  1. History

    • The oral polio vaccine (OPV) was developed in 1958, after the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) had already gone into use (in 1955). Its use contributed greatly to reducing the large number of cases of polio. Before its advent, there were more than 20,000 cases of polio per year in the U.S. By 1979 there were only 10 cases, and no wild polio has been observed in the United States since, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

    Effects

    • The use of OPV gave people who were vaccinated immunity against the polio virus that was long-lasting, sometimes lasting for a lifetime, and immunized people could not become carriers of the virus. Additionally, immunized people could spread the vaccine virus, meaning that other were passively immunized.

    Use

    • In addition to being an effective immunization tool, OPV was simple to administer, as it was given orally either in syrup or on a sugar cube. It was the most widely used form of polio vaccination until 1997, when, on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, there was a major shift to the use of IPV.

    Risks

    • The risk of developing polio as a result of immunization with OPV contributed to the shift in polio vaccination; roughly one out of every 2.4 million people who were vaccinated against polio with OPV went on to develop polio as a result of the immunization.

    Considerations

    • Although not the recommended method of immunization against polio in the United States any longer, OPV may be used under a number of circumstances and is commonly used in other countries. The CDC recommends that those who are going to be immunized against polio with OPV should request the OPV Supplemental Vaccine Information Statement; a copy of this statement is found in the Resources below.

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