What is polio?

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disease that spreads from person to person. It is caused by the poliovirus. The virus attacks the nervous system. In serious cases, it can cause paralysis (where you can't move parts of the body). The paralysis may be lifelong and can sometimes be life-threatening.

Because of vaccines, polio is rare in the United States. But polio does occur in some parts of the world, and travelers can spread the virus.

How does polio spread?

The poliovirus is very contagious. It spreads through contact with:

• The stool (poop) of person who has the infection
• Droplets from a sneeze or cough of someone who has the infection

This contact can happen if:

• You get contaminated stool or droplets on your hands and then touch your mouth
• A child puts contaminated toys or other objects into their mouth
• You share food or utensils with someone who has the infection

People who have the infection can spread it to others just before and up to several weeks after the symptoms appear. People who don't have symptoms can still spread the virus to others and make them sick.

Who is more likely to develop polio?

Polio mainly affects children under age 5. But people of any age (including adults) who are unvaccinated are at risk of developing polio. People who live in or travel to areas where there is polio are more likely to get polio.

What are the symptoms of polio?

Most people who get infected with poliovirus do not have any symptoms. But one out of four people who get polio will have flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days, and they include:

• Sore throat
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Headache
• Stomach pain

In rare cases, polio can be very serious. It can lead to:

• Meningitis, an infection of the covering of your spinal cord and/or brain.
• Weakness or paralysis in your arms, legs, or both. This paralysis or weakness can last a lifetime. It is possible for the paralysis to become life-threatening if it affects the muscles that you use to breathe.
• Post-polio syndrome (PPS), which happens later in life.

What is post-polio syndrome (PPS)?

Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that affects polio survivors many years after they recovered from polio. It usually happens 15-40 years later. It is not contagious.

People who get PPS start having new weakening in muscles that were previously affected by the polio infection. Symptoms may range from mild to serious. The symptoms of PPS include:

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle atrophy (wasting away of muscles)
• Loss of muscle function
• Mental and physical fatigue
• Joint pain
• Curving of the spine (scoliosis)

PPS is rarely life-threatening, but the symptoms can interfere with your daily life.

How is polio diagnosed?

If you think you or someone in your family has symptoms of polio, call your healthcare provider right away or go to an emergency room.

To find out if you or your child has polio, the provider:

• Will do a physical exam.
• Will take a detailed medical history, including your vaccination history and history of any recent travel.
• Will collect samples of body fluids, such as stool, saliva, blood, urine, and spinal fluid. Poliovirus is most likely to be detected in stool specimens.
• May do an MRI to look at pictures of the spinal cord.

What are the treatments for polio and post-polio syndrome (PPS)?

There is no cure or specific treatment for polio. For a mild case, getting rest and drinking plenty of liquids may help with some of the symptoms.

If the polio is more serious, you or your child may need:

• Physical or occupational therapy to help with arm or leg weakness. The earlier therapy is started, the better.
• Pain relievers to help with pain and treat fever. If your child is sick, do not give them aspirin unless their provider tells you to.
• A ventilator to help with breathing if the breathing muscles are weak or paralyzed.

There is no cure for PPS. Treatments may help you manage your symptoms. They include:

• Non-fatiguing exercises (exercises that do not cause pain or fatigue that lasts more than 10 minutes). These exercises may improve muscle strength and reduce tiredness. Your provider can help you figure out which exercises are best for you.
• Mobility aids.
• Ventilation equipment.
• Lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and not smoking.

Can polio be prevented?

There are two types of vaccine that can prevent polio:

• Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on how old you are. Since 2000, this has been the only polio vaccine used in the United States.
• Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is given as drops in the mouth. It is still used throughout much of the world.

Children in the United States get four doses of PV as part of their routine childhood immunizations. Most adults in the United States were vaccinated against polio as children.

There is a one-time IPV booster. It may be given to adults who have completed their polio vaccinations but are at higher risk of contact with poliovirus. You may be at higher risk if you are:

• Traveling to a country where the risk of getting polio is greater
• Working in a laboratory or healthcare setting and handling samples that might contain polioviruses
• A healthcare worker who has contact with patients who could have polio

Another way to help prevent the spread of polio is to wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers will not kill poliovirus.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body). There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines to prevent polio.

Key Facts

• Polio was eliminated in the United States in 1979. This means there is no ongoing spread of the disease for more than 12 months since then. We continue to vaccinate our nation’s children because the disease still occurs in other parts of the world and could easily be brought into the U.S.
• Most people infected with poliovirus have no symptoms. About 24 percent have minor flu-like symptoms that don’t last long. They may have a sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, or stomach pain. Only a few people who get poliovirus will develop meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord or brain) or paralysis in the arms or legs.
• Polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. In the early 1950s, before polio vaccines were available, polio outbreaks caused more than 15,000 cases of paralysis each year.
• While borders can’t stop diseases from spreading, vaccines can. Fortunately, we have a good level of protection against polio in the United States. Most of us have been vaccinated, and current polio vaccination coverage among young children in the United States is 93 percent.

Vaccination Schedule

For best protection, children should get four doses of polio vaccine. This vaccine is given as a shot in the arm or leg and is extremely safe. Ideally, your child should receive a dose at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6 through 18 months, and then a booster dose at age 4 through 6 years.

Polio and Travel

Polio still exists in a few countries in Africa and Asia. Even if you were previously vaccinated, you may need a one-time booster shot before you travel to a country where a risk of getting polio is greater. See your healthcare provider for more information.

Widespread Panic

In the late 1940s to the early 1950s, polio outbreaks in the United States increased in frequency and size. Polio paralyzed more than 35,000 people in the U.S. each year. Parents were frightened to let their children go outside, especially in the summer when the virus seemed to peak.

Prevention Tips

• Polio vaccine provides the best protection against polio.
• Children should get four doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to protect against polio, with one dose at each of the following ages:
  • 2 months
  • 4 months
  • 6 through 18 months
  • 4 through 6 years
• Children who will be traveling to a country where the risk of getting polio is greater should complete the vaccination series before leaving for their trip. If a child cannot complete the routine series above before leaving, an accelerated schedule is recommended as follows:
  • The first dose at age 6 weeks or older,
  • A second dose 4 or more weeks after the first dose,
  • A third dose 4 or more weeks after the second dose,
  • A fourth dose 6 or more months after the third dose.
• Most adults do not need polio vaccine because they were already vaccinated as children. But three groups of adults are at higher risk and should consider polio vaccination in the following situations:
  • You are traveling to a country where the risk of getting polio is greater. Ask your healthcare provider for up-to-date information on whether you need to be vaccinated.
  • You are working in a laboratory and handling specimens that might contain polioviruses.
  • You are a healthcare worker treating patients who could have polio or have close contact with a person who could be infected with poliovirus.
• Adults in these three groups who have never been vaccinated against polio should get three doses of IPV:
  • The first dose at any time,
  • The second dose 1 to 2 months later,
  • The third dose 6 to 12 months after the second.

• Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that can affect polio survivors decades after they recover from their initial poliovirus infection.
• Unlike poliovirus, PPS is not contagious.

PPS affects between 25 and 40 out of every 100 polio survivors. Starting about 15 to 40 years after the initial infection, people affected by PPS can begin experiencing a set of health problems such as:

• Muscle weakness
• Feeling tired (mental and physical fatigue)
• Joint pain

Some people with PPS have only minor symptoms, while others develop more visible muscle weakness and atrophy (a decrease in muscle size). PPS is rarely life-threatening, but the symptoms can make it difficult for an affected person to function independently.

Poliovirus is a member of the Enterovirus genus, family Picornaviridae. Enteroviruses are transient inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract, and are stable at acid pH. Picornaviruses are small, ether-insensitive viruses with an RNA genome. Poliovirus causes polio, or poliomyelitis, a highly infectious disease.

There are three poliovirus serotypes (PV1, PV2, and PV3) with minimal heterotypic immunity between them. That is, immunity to one serotype does not produce significant immunity to the other serotypes.

Poliovirus infects only humans. Poliovirus is spread by the fecal-oral and respiratory routes. Infection is more common in infants and young children. Polio occurs at an earlier age among children living in poor hygienic conditions. In temperate climates, poliovirus infections are most common during summer and autumn. In tropical areas, the seasonal pattern is less pronounced.

What is polio?

• Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.
• The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body).

What are the symptoms of poliovirus infection?

Most people who get infected with poliovirus will not have any visible symptoms.

About 1 out of 4 people (or 25 out of 100) with poliovirus infection will have flu-like symptoms that can include:

• Sore throat
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Stomach pain

These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days, then go away on their own.

A smaller proportion of people with poliovirus infection will develop other, more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord:

• Meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain)occurs in about 1–5 out of 100 people with poliovirus infection, depending on virus type
• Paralysis (can’t move parts of the body) or weakness in the arms, legs, or both occurs in about 1 out of 200 people to 1 in 2000 people, depending on virus type

Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with poliovirus because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Between 2 and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die, because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.

Even children who seem to fully recover can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults, 15 to 40 years later. This is called post-polio syndrome.

Note that “poliomyelitis” (or “polio” for short) is defined as the paralytic disease. So only people with the paralytic infection are considered to have the disease.

Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS)

Polio has been around since ancient times. This ancient Egyptian tomb painting shows a man with a withered leg unable to bear weight without use of a walking stick. This means that most muscle fibers are replaced with scarring (muscle-wasting) that is permanent.

If someone had polio as a child or young adult but had kept or recovered some or all movement of weakened arms or legs, even to the point of being athletic afterward, they can become weaker in late adulthood. That is post-polio syndrome (PPS), a condition that can affect polio survivors decades after they recover from their initial poliovirus infection. Some PPS patients become wheelchair-bound when they had not been before.

Transmission

• Poliovirus is very contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact.
• It lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines.
• It can contaminate food and water in unsanitary conditions.

Poliovirus only infects people. It enters the body through the mouth. It spreads through:

• Contact with the feces (poop) of an infected person
• Droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person (less common)

You can get infected with poliovirus if:

• You have picked up minute pieces of feces on your hands, and you touch your mouth.
• You put in your mouth objects like toys that are contaminated with feces.

An infected person can spread the virus to others immediately before and up to 2 weeks after symptoms appear.

• The virus can live in an infected person’s intestines for many weeks. It can contaminate food and water in unsanitary conditions.
• People who don’t have symptoms can still pass the virus to others and make them sick.

Prevention

There are two types of vaccine that can prevent polio:

• Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age. Only IPV has been used in the United States since 2000.
• Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is still used throughout much of the world.

Polio vaccine protects children by preparing their bodies to fight the poliovirus. Almost all children (more than 99 percent) who get all the recommended doses of the inactivated polio vaccine will be protected from polio.

It is also very important to practice good hand hygiene and wash hands often with soap and water. Note that alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill poliovirus.

Diagnosis

Healthcare providers who suspect a patient has polio should hospitalize the patient right away, do a physical exam, take detailed medical history, including vaccination history and history of any recent travel, collect samples (stool, throat swab, blood, urine, and spinal fluid), and obtain a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at pictures of the spinal cord. Poliovirus is most likely to be detected in stool specimens.

Treatment

There is no cure for paralytic polio and no specific treatment.

Physical or occupational therapy can help with arm or leg weakness caused by polio and might improve long-term outcomes, especially if implemented early in the course of illness. Healthcare providers should consider consulting neurology and infectious disease experts to discuss possible treatments and recommend certain interventions on a case-by-case basis.

If you think you or someone in your family has symptoms of polio, please call your healthcare provider right away or go to an emergency room.

• Poliovirus is very contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact.
• It lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines.

Poliovirus only infects people. It enters the body through the mouth and spreads through:

• Contact with the feces (poop) of an infected person.
• Droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person (less common).

You can get infected with poliovirus if:

• You have feces on your hands, and you touch your mouth.
• You put in your mouth objects like toys that are contaminated with feces.

An infected person may spread the virus to others immediately before and up to 2 weeks after symptoms appear.

• The virus can live in an infected person’s feces for many weeks. It can contaminate food and water in unsanitary conditions.
• People who don’t have symptoms can still pass the virus to others and make them sick.

The United States has been polio-free since 1979, thanks to a successful vaccination program. However, poliovirus is still a threat in some countries. Get your child vaccinated on schedule to help keep the U.S. polio-free.

Polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. In the early 1950s, before polio vaccines were available, polio outbreaks caused more than 15,000 cases of paralysis each year. Following introduction of vaccines—specifically, trivalent inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in 1955 and trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in 1963—the number of polio cases fell rapidly to less than 100 in the 1960s and fewer than 10 in the 1970s.

Polio Once Caused Widespread Panic

In the late 1940s, polio outbreaks in the U.S. increased in frequency and size, disabling an average of more than 35,000 people each year. Parents were frightened to let their children go outside, especially in the summer when the virus seemed to peak. Travel and commerce between affected cities were sometimes restricted. Public health officials imposed quarantines (used to separate and restrict the movement of well people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become ill) on homes and towns where polio cases were diagnosed.

Thanks to the polio vaccine, dedicated health care professionals, and parents who vaccinate their children on schedule, polio has been eliminated in this country for more than 30 years. This means that there is no year-round transmission of poliovirus in the United States.

• Since 1979, no cases of polio have originated in the U.S.
• However, the virus has been brought into the country by travelers with polio. The last time this happened was in 1993.

It takes only one traveler with polio to bring the disease into the United States. People most at risk are:

• Those who never had polio vaccine.
• Those who never received all the recommended vaccine doses.
• Those traveling to areas that could put them at risk for getting polio.

The best way to keep the United States polio-free is to maintain high immunity (protection) against polio in the population through vaccination.

Most people who get infected with poliovirus will not have any visible symptoms.

About 1 out of 4 people (or 25 out of 100) with poliovirus infection will have flu-like symptoms that can include:

• Sore throat
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Stomach pain

These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days, then go away on their own.

A smaller proportion of people with poliovirus infection will develop other, more serious symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord:

• Meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord and/or brain)occurs in about 1–5 out of 100 people with poliovirus infection, depending on virus type
• Paralysis (can’t move parts of the body) or weakness in the arms, legs, or both occurs in about 1 out of 200 people to 1 in 2000 people, depending on virus type

Paralysis is the most severe symptom associated with poliovirus because it can lead to permanent disability and death. Between 2 and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die, because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.

Even children who seem to fully recover can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults, 15 to 40 years later. This is called post-polio syndrome.

Note that “poliomyelitis” (or “polio” for short) is defined as the paralytic disease. So only people with the paralytic infection are considered to have the disease.

Healthcare providers who suspect a patient has polio should hospitalize the patient right away, do a physical exam, take detailed medical history, including vaccination history and history of any recent travel, collect samples (stool, throat swab, blood, urine, and spinal fluid), and obtain a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at pictures of the spinal cord. Poliovirus is most likely to be detected in stool specimens.

There is no cure for paralytic polio and no specific treatment.

Physical or occupational therapy can help with arm or leg weakness caused by polio and might improve long-term outcomes, especially if implemented early in the course of illness. Healthcare providers should consider consulting neurology and infectious disease experts to discuss possible treatments and recommend certain interventions on a case-by-case basis.

If you think you or someone in your family has symptoms of polio, please call your healthcare provider right away or go to an emergency room.

There are two types of vaccine that can prevent polio:

• Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age. Only IPV has been used in the United States since 2000.
• Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is still used throughout much of the world.

Polio vaccine protects children by preparing their bodies to fight the poliovirus. Almost all children (more than 99 percent) who get all the recommended doses of the inactivated polio vaccine will be protected from polio.

It is also very important to practice good hand hygiene and wash hands often with soap and water. Note that alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill poliovirus.

• For best protection, children should get four doses of polio vaccine.
• This vaccine is given as a shot in the arm or leg and is very safe.

Ideally, your child should receive a dose at ages:

• 2 months,
• 4 months,
• 6 through 18 months, and
• then a booster dose at age 4 through 6 years.

Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) may sometimes be given in the same shot with other vaccines (in other words, in a combination vaccine), so discuss this option with your child’s doctor. Getting the recommended doses of polio vaccine is an important part of keeping the United States polio-free.

Traveling to Another Country?

Make sure you get your travel vaccination(s) well before your departure date to ensure complete protection. See your healthcare provider for more information.

Polio used to be common in the United States. Before the polio vaccine, the disease killed thousands of people every year. Thanks to the polio vaccine, there hasn’t been a new case of polio in the United States in over 35 years.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent polio.

Why is the polio vaccine important?

Polio is a very contagious disease — it spreads easily from person to person. Most people who get polio don’t have any serious problems. But in some cases, polio can be very dangerous and lead to permanent disabilities — and even death.

Even though it’s rare in the United States, polio still exists in a few countries in Asia and Africa. So it’s possible for people to get polio when they travel — and spread it to people who aren’t vaccinated when they come home.

When you and your family get vaccinated, you’re doing your part to make sure that polio doesn’t become a problem in the United States again.

What is polio?

Polio is caused by a virus. Most people who get polio don’t have any symptoms. When people do get symptoms, they may include:

• Sore throat
• Fever
• Upset stomach
• Headache
• Stomach pain

Sometimes polio can affect the brain, and lead to serious — and permanent — complications like:

• Paresthesia (feeling pins and needles)
• Inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord
• Paralysis (not being able to move)

Polio usually spreads when someone gets certain body fluids or poop from a person with polio on their hands and then touches their own mouth. Polio spreads when:

• Someone who has polio coughs or sneezes
• Someone who has polio doesn’t wash their hands properly after going to the bathroom and then touches food or objects

Who needs to get the polio vaccine?

All children need to get the polio vaccine — and some adults may need it, too.

Infants and children

All children need 4 doses of the polio vaccine as part of their routine vaccine schedule.

See the routine vaccination schedule for infants and children.

Children need doses at the following ages:

• 2 months for the first dose
• 4 months for the second dose
• 6 through 18 months for the third dose
• 4 through 6 years for the fourth dose

Adults

Some adults who are at higher risk of getting polio may need 1 to 3 doses of the polio vaccine, depending on whether they’ve been vaccinated in the past. You may need to get the polio vaccine if you:

• Are traveling to countries where polio is spreading
• Study polio in a lab
• Are a health care professional who works with people who could have polio

Talk with your doctor about how to protect your family from polio.

Who should not get the polio vaccine?

Some people should not get the polio vaccine — or may need to wait to get it. Be sure to tell your doctor before getting vaccinated if you:

• Have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the polio vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine
• Have any serious allergies
• Are sick

What are the side effects of the polio vaccine?

Side effects are usually mild and go away in a few days. The most common side effect people have is a sore spot where they got the shot.

Like any medicine, there’s a very small chance that the polio vaccine could cause a serious reaction. Keep in mind that getting the polio vaccine is much safer than getting polio.

In the United States, the risk of getting polio is extremely low. Most people are vaccinated against polio during childhood, and this provides protection against serious illness, including paralytic polio which is caused by poliovirus. Studies suggest people who completed their polio vaccination during childhood are likely protected throughout adulthood.

How concerned should I be about a polio case being found in the U.S.?

Right now, the risk to people who have completed their polio vaccination is low.

Most of the U.S. population have protection against paralytic polio because they were vaccinated during childhood.

People who never received polio vaccination or have not completed their polio vaccination series are at risk and should be vaccinated. Paralysis caused by poliovirus cannot be cured, but it can be prevented through vaccination.

While any polio case is concerning, it does not change the current vaccine recommendations.

If you or your child have not been vaccinated against polio or have an incomplete series of polio vaccine, you should talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated right away.

Should I get a polio booster?

Adults who completed the polio vaccine series as children in the United States and are planning to travel to countries with increased risk of polio or have a higher risk for exposure to polio can receive one lifetime booster dose.

If you are going to travel internationally, check with your healthcare provider about getting one lifetime polio booster.

At this time, polio boosters are not recommended for travel within the United States.

How long does the polio vaccine last?

We do not know exactly how long vaccine protection lasts, but a complete vaccine series is likely to protect you for decades. This includes adults who had received oral polio vaccine (OPV) as children decades earlier. However, adults who completed their polio vaccination series as children and are at higher risk for poliovirus exposure can receive one lifetime IPV (inactivated polio vaccine, the type used in the U.S. now) booster.

Anyone who is not fully vaccinated against polio is at risk for polio.

However, there are some situations that put people at increased risk for exposure to poliovirus such as:

• Travelers who have recently traveled or are going to areas or countries where poliovirus spreads.
• Laboratory and healthcare workers who handle specimens that might contain polioviruses.
• Healthcare workers who are treating patients who could have polio or have close contact with a person who could be infected with poliovirus.
• People who are in contact with or caring for a person who could be infected with poliovirus or has been exposed to poliovirus.
• Unvaccinated adults whose children will be receiving oral poliovirus vaccine (for example, international adoptees or refugees).

Talk with your healthcare provider to find out if you may need additional poliovirus vaccination. Their recommendations for poliovirus vaccination will depend on how many doses of polio vaccine you have already received and the time available before protection is needed.

If you or anyone in your family received polio vaccination outside of the United States, make sure it meets the U.S. recommendations. Some oral polio vaccine used outside the U.S. since April 1, 2016, do not provide protection against all three strains of poliovirus.

Only written, dated records are acceptable as evidence of previous vaccination. If you do not have these records, you should be vaccinated using the U.S. schedule.

Talk with your healthcare provider to understand what type of polio vaccine you had, or what type you may need.

CDC does not have access to an individual’s vaccination records. However, states have Immunization Information Systems (IIS) that keep records of some vaccines given to you or your child by a healthcare provider.

Talk to your healthcare provider to see what polio vaccination documentation you or your child has to make sure you and your family are up to date on recommended vaccinations.

If you need a vaccination tracking card or want to get a copy of your vaccination records, contact your healthcare provider or your state health department’s immunization program that handles the state’s immunization registry.

Four doses of the polio shot for children are recommended by doctors as the best way to protect against polio.

When should my child get the polio shot?

Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages:

• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 – 18 months
• 4 – 6 years

Why should my child get the polio shot?

• Protects your child from polio, a potentially serious disease.
• Protects your child from developing lifelong paralysis from polio.

The polio shot is safe.

The polio shot is very safe, and is effective at preventing polio. Vaccines like any medicine, can have side effects. These are usually mild and go away on their own.

What are the side effects?

• Redness, swelling, or pain where the shot was given

Prepare for your child's vaccine visit and learn about how you can:

• Research vaccines and ready your child before the visit
• Comfort your child during the appointment
• Care for your child after the shot

What is polio?

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (can’t move parts of the body). Paralysis caused by poliovirus occurs when the virus replicates in and attacks the nervous system.  The paralysis can be lifelong, and it can be deadly.

What are the symptoms of polio infection?

Most people who get infected with poliovirus do not have any symptoms. Some people (25 people out of 100) will have flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually last 2 to 5 days.

In rare cases, poliovirus infection can be very serious. People will have weakness or paralysis in their arms, legs, or both. This paralysis or weakness can last a lifetime.

Is it serious?

The risk of lifelong paralysis is very serious. Even children who seem to fully recover can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults, 15 to 40 years later.

About 2 to 10 children out of 100 who have paralysis from polio die because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.

How does polio spread?

Poliovirus is very contagious. It spreads through contact with:

• The stool (poop) of an infected person.
• Droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person.

If you get stool or droplets from an infected person on your hands and you touch your mouth, you can get infected. Also, if your child puts objects, like toys, that have stool or droplets on them into their mouth, they can get infected. Sharing utensils with an infected person can also spread the virus.

An infected person can spread the virus to others immediately before and up to 2 weeks after symptoms appear.

• The virus may live in an infected person’s intestines for many weeks. They can contaminate food and water when they touch it with unwashed hands.
• People who don’t have symptoms can still pass the virus to others and make them sick.

Do people still get polio in the United States?

Thanks to a successful vaccination program, most people in the United States are protected from polio. However, people who are not vaccinated or who haven’t received all recommended doses may be at risk of getting polio. The disease still occurs in other parts of the world. It only takes one person with polio traveling from another country to bring polio into the United States.

Children who will be traveling to a country where the risk of getting polio is greater should complete the series of shots before leaving for their trip. If a child cannot complete the routine series before leaving, a polio accelerated schedule is recommended.

What is polio?

Polio is a disease caused by a virus that affects the nervous system and is mainly spread by person-to-person contact. Polio can also be spread by eating raw or undercooked food or drinking water or other drinks that are contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

Most people with polio do not feel sick. Some people have only minor symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, stiffness in the neck and back, and pain in the arms and legs. Most people recover completely. In rare cases, polio infection causes permanent loss of muscle function (paralysis) in the arms or legs (usually the legs); death can occur if there is loss of function of the muscles used for breathing or infection of the brain.

From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, polio crippled around 35,000 people each year in the United States, making it one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century. By 1979, the United States was polio free.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in 1988, with CDC as a leading member. Substantial progress has been made in recent years, and only three countries remain where polio has never been stopped: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The affected areas in these three countries have become smaller. However, polio has been exported to countries that have previously been polio-free. Until polio is stopped everywhere, even polio-free countries are at risk for outbreaks.

Who is at risk?

Travelers going to certain parts of Africa and Asia may be at risk for polio. Everyone should be up-to-date with their routine polio vaccination series. In addition, a one-time adult polio vaccine booster dose is recommended for previously vaccinated travelers to certain countries.

What can travelers do to prevent polio?

Get the polio vaccine:

• Ask your doctor or nurse to find out if you are up-to-date with your polio vaccination and whether you need a booster dose before traveling. Even if you were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with polio before, you may need a booster dose to make sure that you are protected. See individual destination pages for vaccine recommendation information.

• Make sure children are vaccinated.

Eat safe foods and drink safe beverages:

Follow the Food and Water Safety tips to avoid exposure to any food and drinks that could be contaminated by the feces of a person infected with polio.

Practice hygiene and cleanliness:

• Wash your hands often.
• If soap and water aren’t available, clean hands with hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol).
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Try to avoid close contact with other people, such as kissing, hugging, or sharing eating utensils or cups with people who are sick.

If you feel sick and think you may have polio:

• Talk to your doctor or nurse if you feel seriously ill, especially if you have a fever or weakness of a limb.
  • Tell them about your travel.
• Avoid contact with other people while you are sick.
  • Do not prepare or serve food to other people.

• Polio, or poliomyelitis, has been eliminated from most of the world. But it is still a threat in some countries.
• Even if you were previously vaccinated, you may need a one-time booster shot before traveling to a country where the risk of getting polio is greater.

People who plan to travel internationally should make sure they are fully vaccinated against polio before departure. When visiting one of the higher polio risk countries, you may be required by the government of the country to show proof of polio vaccination on your yellow International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (IVCP) when departing that country. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about this requirement.

Vaccination for International Travelers

Infants and Children

CDC recommends that all infants and children in the United States are vaccinated against polio with four doses of the IPV vaccine given at ages 2 months, 4 months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years. Infants and children traveling to areas where the risk of getting polio is greater should complete the routine series before departure.

If a child cannot complete the routine series before departure, an accelerated schedule is recommended as follows:

• first dose at age 6 weeks or older
• a second dose 4 or more weeks after the first dose
• a third dose 4 or more weeks after the second dose
• a fourth dose 6 or more months after the third dose

If the accelerated schedule cannot be completed before leaving, the remaining doses should be given in the affected country, or upon return home, at the intervals recommended in the accelerated schedule. In addition, children completing the accelerated schedule should still receive a dose of IPV at 4 years old or older, as long as it has been at least 6 months after the previous dose.

Adults

Adults who are traveling to areas with increased risk of polio and who are unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or whose vaccination status is unknown should receive a series of three doses:

• two doses separated by 1 to 2 months, and
• a third dose 6 to 12 months after the second dose.

Adults who completed the polio vaccine series as children and are traveling to areas with increased risk of polio should receive a one-time booster dose of vaccine (IPV).