How do I know if I have been vaccinated against polio?

With polio in the news these days, many people are wondering if they were vaccinated against polio as a child. Luckily, if you grew up in America, chances are good.

Who is more likely to be vaccinated against polio?

Since it was first developed, the polio vaccine has been a big deal, to say the least. In 1955, a clinical trial of his vaccine for Salk Injection Polio was widely announced, and a large-scale vaccination campaign soon followed. A few years later, an orally-administered Sabin vaccine was also approved and widely used.

In the decades that followed, immunization against polio was common among children in the United States and many other parts of the world. 95% or more.

CDC To tell:

Most adults living in the United States (i.e., those 18 years of age and older) are presumed to be immune to poliovirus from previous routine childhood immunizations, and pose only a small risk of poliovirus exposure in the United States. There is none.

what happened to polio?

The last spontaneous outbreak of polio in the United States was in 1979. Immunization was going so well that in 1985 the World Health Organization set him the goal of eradicating polio in North and South America by 1990. Both continents were certified polio-free in 1994. Polio eradication campaigns continue in other parts of the world. This is one of the few diseases that we can actually eradicate.

Children are still vaccinated against polio today. In contrast, after smallpox was eradicated from the world (the only human disease we eradicated), smallpox vaccines fell off the standard schedule. But that is not the case, as polio is also present in other parts of the world. If a polio patient arrives in the United States after being infected elsewhere, at least 80-85% of the population must be immune to prevent the virus from spreading. That is why polio vaccination is still part of the standard schedule.

Recently, an injectable polio vaccine has been administered as one of the standard childhood vaccines, starting at 2 months of age with 4 doses. (Oral vaccines are no longer routinely used in the United States, but if you remember getting a vaccine with a sugar cube, it probably was. Read more about the differences between the two vaccines.) here.)

how do you know if Have you been vaccinated against polio?

Unfortunately, the US does not have a centralized vaccine registry, so this is a personal medical record question. If you’re good at updating your files as you move from one clinic to another, the information about when you got the polio vaccine and whether you got it may be there. But for most of us, that document is buried elsewhere.

How about asking your parents? If you can guess where the medical records of the doctor or hospital your family took you to can be found, ask for those records. Schools often require proof of vaccination against a list of illnesses, so you can try school records. Don’t expect your elementary school to keep records of you for years. If your parents had baby books, that’s a different place.

Some states have vaccine registrations.of Proposed by the CDC Check with your local or state health department to see if they have a way to check your records.

What if I am not sure if my polio vaccine is up to date?

If you are unsure whether you have been vaccinated, or if you have received some immunizations but not the full course, you can still be vaccinated again. (By the way, IAdditional vaccines are generally safe.MeIf you need a vaccine and you are not sure whether you have received it, your health care provider will usually ask you to get another vaccine. )

T.CDC Recommendation If you are unsure whether you have been vaccinated, get three doses of the polio vaccine. This is the same recommendation as for unvaccinated people.

If you know you have received some but not all of the vaccine, you can complete the course. The CDC website has detailed information about the dosage required and when to administer it.

And finally, if you were vaccinated but are now at “high risk” of exposure and want to ensure you receive the best possible precautions: Have 1 Booster Dose – This is considered sufficient for lifelong protection. such as travel to polio-endemic countries, or if you may encounter, have had, or may come into contact with the poliovirus as part of your work as a scientist or health care worker. The situation is considered “high risk”. with people at risk of polio.