Questions and answers on the polio outbreak in the Philippines

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis, or even death, in a matter of hours.

Polio is transmitted mainly through the faecal-oral route. For example, if someone touches human waste contaminated with the virus, and then eats food without washing their hands properly, the virus could enter the body through the mouth.

The virus multiplies in the intestine and is excreted by the infected person in their faeces, which can pass the virus onto others.

No, there is no cure for polio. Polio can only be prevented by immunization.

Two safe and effective vaccines exist—the oral polio vaccine (OPV) which is given as drops into the mouth and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) which is given by injection. Both provide essential protection for children against polio and, given multiple times, they protect a child for life.

Polio mainly affects children under the age of 5 years, although the disease occasionally affects adults. The best protection for your children is vaccination.

If you are living in an area covered by the mass vaccination campaign, ensure that any children under the age of 5 years receive the vaccine, provided for free at health centres, during each vaccination round. All children under 5 years should receive the vaccine, even if they have had it before.

Everyone, whether or not you are covered by the mass vaccination campaign, should ensure children have received three doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) and one dose of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as part of routine childhood immunization.

Proper water, sanitation and hygiene also help to limit the disease’s spread. Wash your hands regularly, use a toilet, cook your food thoroughly and drink safe water. If the safety of your water is in doubt, boil it, ensuring that it has been bubbling vigorously for at least 1 minute before allowing it to cool.

In the Philippines, oral polio vaccine is routinely given to children at 1 ½, 2 ½, and 3 ½ months, and inactivated polio vaccine at 3 ½ months.

Polio vaccines are safe, effective and essential protection for all children against polio. Over the last 30 years, oral polio vaccine has saved 18 million people all over the world from permanent paralysis by polio.

Side effects are usually minor. For example, those vaccinated with inactivated polio vaccine may experience pain and redness at the injection site. People sometimes temporarily feel faint after being vaccinated – they should be encouraged to lie down until it passes.

As with any medication, other, more serious side effects (e.g. severe allergic reaction) are possible but rare. Children are in far greater danger from the circulating polioviruses than from any adverse effects from the polio vaccine.

The Islamic Advisory Group (IAG) for Immunization, a consortium of prestigious Islamic religious organizations, has expressed “trust in the safety of all routine childhood vaccinations as a life-saving tool which protects children and acknowledges that it conforms to Islamic Shariah”.

In 2019, the Ministry of Health – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, together with 13 religious leaders, issued a fatwa (Islamic ruling) that promotes immunization to prevent deaths and suffering from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, tetanus, polio, pneumonia, hepatitis, diphtheria, rubella, and mumps.

Yes, it is safe, and it is essential to administer multiple doses of oral polio vaccine to children. The vaccine is designed to be administered multiple times to ensure full protection. Each additional dose further strengthens a child’s immunity level against polio.

Children need multiple doses of oral polio vaccine to be fully protected. Until a child is fully immunized, they are still at risk from polio. This is why every child must be immunized during every immunization campaign against polio. Every missed child is a place for the poliovirus to hide.

Yes. Oral polio vaccine (OPV) is safe and effective. Every extra dose means a child gets additional protection against polio. It takes multiple doses of OPV to achieve full immunity against polio. If a child has received the vaccine before, then extra doses given during immunization campaigns will provide valuable additional protection against polio.

Yes. For full protection, ensure that your child gets three doses of oral polio vaccine and one dose of inactivated polio vaccine. Speak to your local health professional about the timing of each dose.

Everyone living in areas covered by the mass immunization campaign should ensure that every child under the age of 5 years receives an additional dose of polio vaccine, free of charge, every time it is offered. Each dose provides additional protection.

Children under five years of age are at most risk. This is why children under five will be provided with the vaccine, free of charge, during the mass immunization campaign. The risk for adults is far lower. If you think you have not been immunized and you are concerned, please speak with your local health care professional.

Adults are advised to ensure that any children under your care are fully vaccinated, wash your hands regularly with soap and water, cook your food thoroughly and drink safe water. If the safety of your water is in doubt, boil it, ensuring that it has been bubbling vigorously for at least 1 minute before allowing it to cool. These actions will help limit the risk of a range of diseases, including polio.

Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) consists of inactivated (killed) strains of all three poliovirus types (1, 2 and 3). IPV is given as an injection and must be administered by a trained health worker. IPV causes the body to produce antibodies in the blood to all three types of poliovirus. In the event of infection, these antibodies prevent the spread of the virus to the central nervous system and protect against paralysis. In this way, IPV prevents that person from being paralyzed if exposed to polio, but it does not stop transmission of the virus.

The oral polio vaccine (OPV) consists of live, attenuated (weakened) poliovirus strains of one or two poliovirus types. OPV is given as a drop in the mouth. It can be administered by trained volunteers and does not require a nurse, doctor or midwife for administration. When fully immunized, a person develops “gut immunity” and will no longer transmit the virus type included in the vaccine even if they are exposed (e.g. if they are vaccinated with type 2-containg OPV, they will no longer transmit type 2 virus). Thanks to this gut immunity, OPV is the only effective weapon to stop transmission of the poliovirus when an outbreak is detected. Bivalent OPV protects against poliovirus type 1 and 3, while monovalent OPV 2 protects against type 2.

Combining inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV) provides the best form of protection from polio. IPV and OPV each cause a different kind of immune reaction, and together they strengthen your child’s protection. It protects your child and helps protect our community.