What is the full form of OPV


OPV: Oral Polio Vaccine

The OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine)is a combination of live poliovirus variations from each serotype that was chosen for its capacity to imitate the immune response following infection with wild live attenuated vaccines while having a notably lower risk of spreading to the nervous system. Three or more evenly-spaced OPV doses are needed to produce sufficient levels of seroconversion. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) has a dual mechanism of action. In the case of infection, OPV causes the blood to develop antibodies (referred to as "humoral" or "serum immunity") against all three forms of poliovirus, which shields the person from polio paralysis by halting the virus's transmission to the nervous system.

OPV Full Form

In addition, OPV strains trigger a local immune response in the mucous membrane that lines the intestines, where polioviruses mostly replicate. The antigens created there prevent the 'wild' (naturally occurring) virus from multiplying in subsequent infections. The fact that large vaccination campaigns with OPV have been found to limit person-to-person transmission of wild poliovirus is likely due to this gut immune response to OPV. Rarely, the injection of OPV might cause vaccination-associated paralysis due to the vaccine strains switching back to their more neurovirulent wild poliovirus profiles. These vaccination strains have occasionally caused infectious poliomyelitis by becoming neurovirulent and transmissible.

The oral polio vaccine (OPV), created by Dr Albert Sabin, was first administered in 1961.

Polio Vaccine

Usually, children need four doses of the polio vaccine at two months, four months, 6-18 months, and 4-6 years of age.

Because they were protected against polio as children, most adults do not require the polio vaccination. Those who travel to specific regions of the world, work in laboratories where poliovirus may be present, care for patients who may have the disease, or whose children may receive the oral poliovirus vaccine are among individuals who should think about getting vaccinated against polio (for example, international adoptees or refugees)

A combination vaccine or a stand-alone dose of the polio vaccine may be administered (a type of vaccine combining more than one vaccine into one shot). The Polio vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Oral vaccine type

  • Monovalent oral poliovirus vaccine

Monovalent OPVs, which were created before tOPV but were mostly abandoned after its acceptance, were built in the early 1950s, and it wasn't accessible when GPEI was established in 1988. Oral polio vaccinations that are monovalent only protect against one of the three OPV serotypes. They are more effective than tOPV at imparting immunity to the specific serotype but do not shield the other two.

Due to the GPEI's successful intervention, monovalent OPVs for types 1 (mOPV1) and 3 (mOPV3) poliovirus were again approved in 2005. Of all the vaccinations, they generate the strongest immune response against the serotype they are targeting.

  • Novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2)

GPEI partners are working to introduce a novel oral polio vaccine type 2 to address the changing risk of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) (nOPV2).

  • Bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine

After April 2016, the bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine took the place of the trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine in routine vaccination programs worldwide. Only attenuated viruses of serotypes 1 and 3, in the same quantity as in the trivalent vaccination, are present in bivalent OPV.

Trivalent OPV gives protection against serotype 2, whereas bivalent OPV does not. Bivalent OPV generates a greater immunological response against poliovirus types 1 and 3 than trivalent OPV.

In addition to normal vaccination, it will combat outbreaks of poliovirus types 1 and 3.

  • The trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine

It was the most widely used vaccine for preventative vaccination against poliovirus until April 2016. It combines live, attenuated polioviruses of all three serotypes created in the 1950s by Albert Sabin. All three poliovirus serotypes can be protected against tOPV, sometimes known as the "Sabin vaccination," which is affordable and efficient.

The bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV), which only includes attenuated viruses of types 1 and 3, took the place of the trivalent vaccination in April 2016.

Why does OPV work better?

While IPV effectively guards against paralysis and poliomyelitis with symptoms, OPV induces a higher gut immunity that is more effective in halting viral shedding and spreading to others.

When do we apply for OPV?

In other nations, the oral polio vaccination (OPV) is utilized. The CDC advises giving children the polio vaccine in four doses. At the following ages, they should have one dose: 2 months, four months, 6 through 18 months, and 4 through 6 years.

How many OPV drops are given?

Only oral administration of OPV is allowed. A dropper or dispenser administers two drops from the multi-dose vial directly into the mouth. It can be preferable for older kids to first place the droplets on a sugar clump or in liquid to neutralize any potential bitter taste.

Risks of a vaccine reaction

Following polio vaccination, a painful patch with red, swelling, or pain may appear where the shot was administered.

After medical treatments, including vaccinations, some people experience fainting. If you have ringing in your ears, vision problems, or dizziness, inform your healthcare professional. There is a very slim risk that a vaccine will result in a serious allergic reaction, another kind of catastrophic harm, or even life, just like with any medication.

The CDC advises giving children the polio vaccine in four doses. At the following ages, they should have one dose: Two months, four months, 6 through 18 months, and 4 through six years. Kids who have not finished the polio vaccine series should visit their healthcare provider to do so.

Since most adults in the United States had the polio vaccine as children, they are likely to be safe from contracting the disease. Most individuals born and reared in the United States can presume they were immunized against polio as children unless there are specific reasons to suspect they were not. The normal children's immunization schedule in the U.S. still includes the polio vaccination, which has been a part of the schedule for many years. Most likely, adults who got any childhood vaccinations in the U.S. also received polio vaccinations.

Adults who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated and more likely to come into contact with the poliovirus should get IPV to complete their polio immunization series. Many persons who've been unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated should discuss the danger of polio and the necessity of polio vaccination with their doctor. Adults who have already had the polio vaccine but are still at high risk of contracting it may get one IPV booster in their lifetime.

Talk with your healthcare provider

Inform your vaccine provider if the recipient has any of the following conditions:

  • Had an adverse response to an initial dose of the polio vaccine; in rare circumstances, your doctor can opt to put off polio shot until a subsequent appointment.
  • Immunizations are permitted for those who have mild ailments like a cold. Typically, those who are moderately or seriously unwell should postpone taking the polio vaccination until after they have recovered.
  • The dangers of this vaccination for pregnant or nursing women are not well understood. If a pregnant woman is at a higher risk for infection and needs rapid protection, polio vaccination can be administered.

You can get further information from your doctor.

How Effective Is the Polio Vaccine?

Since 2000, only the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) has been administered in the United States. If a person receives all the prescribed doses of IPV, nearly everyone (99 out of 100) is protected against the severe sickness brought on by the poliovirus. Two doses of IPV safeguard at least 90% of people, and three doses cover at least 99%.

The polio vaccination can stop polio

The polio virus, which may infect a person's spinal cord and induce paralysis, is the cause of polio (also known as poliomyelitis), a fatal and crippling condition.

The majority of poliovirus patients show no symptoms, and many make a full recovery. Some patients may have stomach pain, a sore throat, a fever, fatigue, nausea, or headaches.

A smaller percentage of people experience more severe symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord, such as paraesthesia (the sensation of having pins and needles in the legs), meningitis (an infection of the membranes that cover the spinal cord and brain), or paralysis (the inability to move certain body parts).

The most serious polio symptom, paralysis, can result in death and permanent disability. A person's limb paralysis may improve, but 15 to 40 years later, new muscular discomfort and weakness may appear in some people. The term "post-polio syndrome" describes this.

Although polio is no longer a problem in the United States, it is still a problem elsewhere in the globe. The greatest strategy to safeguard yourself and keep the United States free of polio is to keep the population's immunity (protection) against polio high through vaccination.


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