Polio (Poliomyelitis) - Diseases and Vaccines

Immunisation
Polio (Poliomyelitis)

Virus
Polio is caused by a virus that can lead to a mild or a very serious illness. The virus infects the bowel and from there can attack the nervous system, causing meningitis or paralysis. Infection may be without symptoms.

Polio has disappeared from New Zealand and most parts of the world as a result of immunisation. The Western Pacific region was declared polio free in 2000.

However, polio is still found in some overseas countries and could be brought into New Zealand by travellers and immigrants. It is important that New Zealand children continue to be immunised against polio.

Vaccine
This disease is covered on the New Zealand Immunisation Schedule. The vaccines used are INFANRIX^®- hexa and INFANRIX-IPV^TM.

How it is spread
The virus is found in secretions from the nose and throat and is spread by coughing, sneezing, sharing drink bottles etc. It is also spread from person to person through the faecal-oral route, e.g. from not washing hands when going to the toilet and then eating food or putting your fingers into your mouth.

Symptoms
Symptoms include headache, diarrhoea, tiredness, stiffness of the neck and back, and pain in the limbs, back or neck with or without paralysis.

Illness
Children who develop paralysis may appear to recover only to become ill again after a few days.

The paralysis is usually permanent.

Severe risks associated with polio

About one in 20 hospitalised patients dies and 0.1–2 in 100 patients who survive is permanently paralysed.
The overall risk of paralysis is about one in 100. This increases with age, ie, one in 75 adults.
There are 2–10 fatalities in 100 cases from paralytic poliomyelitis.
Post-polio syndrome may occur 30–40 years after poliomyelitis (ie, muscle pain and worsening of existing muscle weakness).

Severe risks associated with the vaccine

No serious reactions have been reported.

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Page last updated: 13 June 2008