IPOL Uses

Polio, a serious disease that was once common in the United States, can be prevented with IPOL. It is often given as a routine childhood vaccination. Some IPOL uses are approved for adults. For example, people traveling to areas of the world where polio is common and healthcare workers who might come into contact with the polio virus should get vaccinated.

What Is IPOL Used For?

IPOL^® (inactivated polio vaccine) is a routine childhood vaccine used to prevent poliomyelitis (known more commonly as simply "polio"). It provides excellent protection against polio paralysis without the risk of actually causing polio, which was a problem with the previous oral polio vaccine.

In particular, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends routine vaccination against polio with an inactivated polio vaccine (such as IPOL) for children. Routine vaccination of adults (even if they did not complete the polio vaccine series as children) is not recommended, except for the following groups of people:

People traveling to areas of the world where polio is still common
Laboratory workers who might come into contact with the polio virus
Healthcare providers who might come into contact with individuals with polio.

This vaccine can be used to complete the entire polio vaccination series. It is no longer recommended to start with IPOL for the first doses and finish with the oral polio vaccine for the last doses, as was once recommended.

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