Polio vaccine (IPV)

Long-lasting protection for your child against polio

Type of vaccine

Single inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)

Protects against

Polio

Primary course

3 doses

Boosters

Yes

Suitable for ages

From 8 weeks

What is the polio vaccine?

The polio vaccine protects against polio, a serious viral infection that can cause temporary or permanent paralysis or even death.

Most people who catch polio don’t develop any symptoms or even know that they’re ill but, for others, polio can be a life-changing illness.

Polio used to be widespread but, thanks to the polio vaccine, there hasn’t been a naturally-occurring case in the UK since the 1980s. It’s recommended that everyone is vaccinated against this infection, which is still found in some parts of the world, to ensure that polio levels remain at their current low rates.

How does the polio vaccine work?

This is an inactivated vaccine (sometimes called a “killed” vaccine), which means that the disease-giving properties in the virus have been destroyed. The vaccine stimulates the production of protective antibodies without causing polio itself.

Inactivated vaccines typically cause a milder immune response than “live” vaccines, which is why three doses are needed to build up and maintain the level of immunity.

Who should have the polio vaccine?

It’s recommended that all children are vaccinated against polio. The NHS vaccination schedule includes a combined vaccine with protection against polio. If you decide you do not want your child to have this combined vaccine, they should have a course of polio vaccines before travelling to an at-risk country. Polio is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan but is also at risk of returning to other countries with low levels of immunity and monitoring.

Polio vaccine FAQs

IPV stands for “inactivated polio vaccine” and refers to the vaccine given as an injection. This is now the preferred vaccination for polio in the UK.

As a child or in some countries outside of the UK, you might have received the oral polio vaccine (OPV); this is a “live” vaccine given as drops in the mouth. The OPV is no longer routinely available in Britain because, although effective, it carries a slight risk of causing vaccine-associated paralytic polio.

Two doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) are 90% effective or more against polio; three doses are 99% to 100% effective.

Like all vaccines, the polio vaccine can cause side effects. For the majority of people, they’re mild and self-resolve within a day or two.

The most common reactions, affecting more than one in 10 doses, are pain at the injection site and a mild fever. Less than one in 10 people but more than one in 100 also experience redness at the injection site.

The CDC notes that any medication can cause a severe allergic reaction. Such reactions from a vaccine are very rare, estimated at about one in a million doses (across all vaccines, not the IPV), and would happen within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

However, the IPV has not been known to cause serious problems.

The vaccine may not be suitable for your child if they have any severe, life-threatening allergies or you know they are allergic to one of the ingredients in the vaccine.

You should also let us know if they have a blood or clotting disorder or are immunosuppressed.

If your child has a mild illness, such as a cold, at the time of their vaccination appointment, it will probably be able to go ahead. Of course, if they feel poorly and are moderately or severely ill, the appointment can be rearranged for when they’ve recovered.

Just let us know if you have any concerns and we will be happy to discuss them with you.

The polio vaccine is given as a shot in the upper arm or thigh, depending on the patient’s age.

It’s not known exactly how long protection against polio lasts after a complete course of the IPV vaccine but it is believed to be long-term and at least 10 years.

If your child plans to travel to a polio-affected country 10 years after their last dose of the vaccine, they may be advised to have a booster to maintain their protection.

The polio vaccine is given in three separate doses at least one month apart during your child’s first year of life (after eight weeks old). They will also need a booster dose at ages four to six and 14 to 16.

Yes, booster doses of the polio vaccine can be given, as necessary.

Yes, if you weren’t vaccinated against polio as a child, you can have the vaccine as an adult. If you were vaccinated more than 10 years ago and are travelling to a polio-affected country, you may be advised to have a booster shot.

Yes.

Yes. The polio vaccine is given in five separate doses through the NHS childhood vaccination schedule. This is typically at the following times:

  • 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age – as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine
  • 3 years and 4 months of age – as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster
  • 14 years of age – as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster

Ingredients of the polio vaccine

On the tabs below, you will find ingredient information and links to the Patient Information Leaflets for the UK standard vaccines that protect against polio. Other suitable vaccines may be available for your child based on the clinical need, but this must be discussed during a consultation to ensure you are given the appropriate advice and prescription for your child’s needs.

Name: Infanrix-IPV+Hib (5-in-1 DTaP, IPV & Hib vaccine)

Age: Suitable from age six weeks to three years

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, IPV & Hib

Active ingredients: Not less than 30IU diphtheria toxoid, not less than 40IU tetanus toxoid, 25μg pertussis toxoid, 25μg filamentous haemagglutinin, 8μg pertactin, 40 D antigen units poliovirus type 1, 8 D antigen units poliovirus type 2, 32 D antigen units poliovirus type 3, 10μg HIB capsular polysaccharide

Other ingredients: 25μg tetanus toxoid (as conjugate), lactose, sodium chloride, Medium 199 (containing amino acids (including phenylalanine*), mineral salts (including sodium and potassium), vitamins (including para-aminobenzoic acid) and other substances), water for injections

The vaccine may contain traces of formaldehyde, neomycin and polymyxin which are used during the manufacturing process

It contains para-aminobenzoic acid <0.07 nanograms per dose and phenylalanine 0.036 micrograms per dose

* Phenylalanine may be harmful if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up because the body cannot remove it properly.

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.5mg**

** Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: Yes

Licensed for use in the UK

Infanrix-IPV+Hib Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Vaxelis (6-in-1 DTaP, Hep B, IPV & Hib vaccine)

Age: Suitable from age six weeks up to 15 months (however, NHS England recommends it for up to 10 years of age for those with incomplete vaccination status)

Manufacturer: Sanofi Pasteur

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio & Hib

Active ingredients: Each 0.5 mL dose contains not less than 20IU diphtheria toxoid, not less than 40 IU tetanus toxoid, Bordetella pertussis antigens [20 mcg pertussis toxiod (PT), 20 mcg filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), 3 mcg pertactin (PRN), and 5 mcg fimbriae types 2 and 3 (FIM)], 10mcg Hepatitis B surface antigen, Poliovirus (Inactivated) [Type 1 (Mahoney) 40 D antigen units, Type 2 (MEF-1) 8 D antigen units, Type 3 (Saukett) 32 D antigen units], Haemophilus influenzae type B polysaccharide [3 mcg Polyribosylribitol phosphate, 50mcg conjugated to meningococcal protein]

Other ingredients: Sodium phosphate, water for injections

* Aluminium phosphate and amorphus aluminium hydroxyphosphate sulphate are included in the vaccine as adjuvants. The vaccine may also contain traces of glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, neomycin, streptomycin, polymyxin B, and bovine serum albumin

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.32mg*

* Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Vaxelis Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Revaxis (3-in-1 dT-IPV vaccine)

Age: Suitable from age six

Manufacturer: Sanofi Pasteur

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus & polio

Active ingredients: 2U diphtheria toxoid, 20IU tetanus toxoid, 40 units type 1 polio, 8 units type 2 polio, 32 units type 3 polio

Other ingredients: Phenoxylethanol, ethanol anhydrous, formaldehyde, acetic acid (pH adjuster), sodium hydroxide (pH adjuster), Medium 199 (a mixture of amino acids including phenylalanine, mineral salts, vitamins, polysorbate 80, hydrochloric acid (pH adjuster), sodium hydroxide (pH adjuster) and other substances), and water for injections

REVAXIS contains 10 mcg phenylalanine in each 0.5ml dose, which is equivalent to 0.17 mcg/kg for a 60kg person. Phenylalanine may be harmful to people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up because the body can’t remove it properly

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.35mg*

* Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Revaxis Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Boostrix-IPV (4-in-1 dTap-IPV) (low doses of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio vaccine)

Age: From age three and upwards

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough & polio

Active ingredients: 2IU* diphtheria toxoid, 20IU tetanus toxoid, 8µg pertussis toxoid, 8µg filamentous haemagglutinin, 2.5µg pertactin; Inactivated poliovirus – type 1 (Mahoney strain), 40 D-antigen unit type 2 (MEF-1 strain), 8 D-antigen unit type 3 (Saukett strain), 32 D-antigen unit

*International units

Other ingredients: Medium 199 (containing amino acids (including phenylalanine**), mineral salts (including sodium and potassium), vitamins (including para-aminobenzoic acid) and other substances), sodium chloride and water for injections

** Boostrix-IPV contains phenylalanine which may be harmful to people with phenylketonuria (PKU)

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.5mg***

*** Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Boostrix-IPV Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Repevax (4-in-1 Tdap vaccine with IPV)

Age: Suitable from age three

Manufacturer: Sanofi Pasteur

Protects against: Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough & polio

Active ingredients: Diphtheria Toxoid (not less than 2 International Units (2 Lf)); Tetanus Toxoid (not less than 20 International Units (5 Lf)); Pertussis Antigens: Pertussis Toxoid 2.5 micrograms, Filamentous Haemagglutinin 5 micrograms, Pertactin 3 micrograms, Fimbriae Types 2 and 3 5 micrograms; Inactivated Poliomyelitis Virus (produced in Vero cells): Type 1 (Mahoney) 40 D antigen units, Type 2 (MEF1) 8 D antigen units, Type 3 (Saukett) 32 D antigen units

Other ingredients: Phenoxyethanol, ethanol, polysorbate 80, water for injections

REPEVAX may contain traces of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, streptomycin, neomycin, polymyxin B and bovine serum albumin

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.33 mg*

* Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Repevax Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Aftercare

We’ll give you detailed aftercare advice for your child after their vaccination(s), including what to do in the event of any side effects.

Your child may experience some redness, tenderness and/or swelling at the injection site, so it’s helpful to expect this. These side effects should self-resolve within a few days.

You can download our Patient Aftercare leaflet here.

If your child is unwell outside of clinic hours, please call 111 for advice or go to A&E if they need urgent medical attention.

Individual advice about the polio vaccination

Need advice about whether your child should have the polio vaccine? The BabyJabs team is here to listen and answer your questions to help you decide.