2-16 US CHANGES POLIO VACCINATION PROGRAMME
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidelines for administering polio vaccine. This action was taken after determining that nearly all cases of paralytic polio (fortunately few in numbers) contracted recently were caused by the oral (live) vaccine. The Sabin Vaccine consists of live attenuated virus which is administered orally. The Salk Vaccine (given intramuscularly) consists of inactive virus and cannot cause polio.
The new recommendation calls for a sequential vaccination schedule: the inactive (Salk) vaccine is given at ages 2 months and 4 months followed by the oral (Sabin) vaccine at 12-18 months and again at 4-6 years. The aim is to reduce the incidence of vaccine-associated polio while preserving the benefits of herd and mucosal immunity provided by the Sabin vaccine which more closely mimics wild polio. The plan is to eventually use only the inactivated vaccine once polio is eradicated globally.

BMJ February 15, 1997; 314: 465 News from BMJ staff

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