world polio day Celebrated every year on 24 October. The day aims to raise awareness about polio which is a disease caused by a virus that mainly affects the nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem. In its most severe form, polio can cause a person to be unable to move certain limbs, also known as paralysis. This can cause difficulty in breathing and sometimes even death.

To protect your child from polio, it is important that you get them vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says polio vaccination has been a part of the routine childhood vaccination program. There are different types of polio vaccines, inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV). IPV is the only polio vaccine offered in the United States since 2000. OPV is used in other countries.

In India, OPV has been used exclusively since 1978, however, IPV has recently been added to India’s national immunization schedule. OPV is also continuing.

The CDC says IPV is given by a shot in the leg or arm, depending on the age of the patient. On the other hand, for OPV, the vaccine dose is given by drops in the mouth to children.

symptoms of polio

There are different types of polio and symptoms vary depending on the type of condition.

abortion polio

• Fever
• Headache
• muscle pain
• sore throat
• stomach pain
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomit.

nonparalytic polio

• neck pain or stiffness
• pain or stiffness in arms or legs
• severe headache
• stiffness in the spine and neck
• decreased alertness
• muscle weakness.

paralytic polio

• severe pain
• extreme sensitivity to touch
• tingling or pricking sensation
• muscle spasm or twitching
• Muscle weakness turns into limping paralysis
• Depending on the severity of the disease, other signs or symptoms may include:
• paralysis of muscles involved in breathing
• difficulty swallowing.

Why is it important to get vaccinated against polio?

It is important to get your child vaccinated against polio as it provides protection against the disease. It also protects your child from:

• having polio, a potentially serious disease
• Development of lifelong paralysis from polio.

The risk of lifelong paralysis is very serious. Even children who recover completely may develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis later as adults. This can happen after 15 to 40 years. About 2 to 10 out of 100 children paralyzed by polio die. This is because the virus affects the muscles that help them breathe.

When do children need to be vaccinated?

Immunize India says children are given at least 3 doses of OPV at 6, 10 and 14 weeks along with a booster dose at 16-18 months and at 4-6 years of age. In industrialized countries, there are 4 doses of IPV, at these ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6–18 months, and a booster dose at 4–6 years.

“A person is considered fully immunized if he or she has received a primary series of at least three doses of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), live oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), or four doses of any combination of IPV and OPV . ,

Get the latest news live on Times Now with breaking news and top headlines from around the world.