Before Receiving This Vaccine

For a while after you are immunized, there is a very small risk (1 in 2.2 million) that any persons living in your household who have not yet been immunized against polio or who have or had an immune deficiency condition may develop poliomyelitis (polio) from being around you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about this.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For polio vaccine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to polio vaccine or to neomycin, polymyxin B, or streptomycin. The polio vaccines available in the U.S. and Canada may contain neomycin, polymyxin B, and/or streptomycin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet—Make certain your health care professional knows if you are on any special diet, such as a low-sugar diet, because the oral solution form of polio vaccine may be given to you on a sugar cube.

Pregnancy—Studies on effects in pregnancy have not been done in either humans or animals. However, this vaccine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in humans. Although it is not recommended for all pregnant women, polio vaccine is given to pregnant women who are at great risk of catching polio.

Breast-feeding—Polio vaccine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children—Use is not recommended for infants up to 6 weeks of age. For infants and children 6 weeks of age and older, polio vaccine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

Older adults—Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of polio vaccine in the elderly with use in other age groups, this vaccine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older persons than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Before you receive polio vaccine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are receiving or have received any of the following:

• Cancer medicines or
• Corticosteroids (e.g., cortisone-like medicines) or
• Radiation therapy—May reduce the useful effect of the vaccine

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of polio vaccine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Diarrhea or
• Virus infection or
• Vomiting—The condition may reduce the useful effect of the vaccine

• Fever or
• Illness (moderate or severe) or
• Weakness (severe)—The symptoms of the condition may be confused with possible side effects of the vaccine

• Immune deficiency condition (or family history of)—The condition may increase the chance of side effects of the vaccine