ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF KILLED AND LIVE POLIOMYELITIS VACCINES

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 56  (1) , 21-38
Abstract
Decision-making on the use of poliomyelitis vaccines in the WHO Expanded Immunization Program, particularly in the developing nations, needs to be based on an understanding of the epidemiology of poliomyelitis in different parts of the globe. Killed-virus poliomyelitis vaccines were effective in certain countries that used them exclusively; these were small countries with excellent public health systems, where coverage by the killed vaccine was wide and frequent. Live vaccines, administered to hundreds of millions of persons during the past decade, were also remarkably safe and effective. However, in certain warm-climate countries induction of antibodies in a satisfactorily high proportion of vaccinees was difficult to accomplish. The advantages and disadvantages of each kind of poliomyelitis vaccine need to be weighed with respect to the particular setting in which a vaccine was or will be used.