Things Everyone Needs to Know About Polio!

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Is there any cure for polio?

The answer is: NO.

Polio (or Poliomyelitis) is a plausibility deadly virus caused by poliovirus, mainly affects children under 5 years of age, which can transmit from person to person. It enters the body through food, hands contaminated with the faeces, or droplets of someone who is infected by the virus; then multiplies in the gut. Most patient have no symptoms or mild symptoms. Nonetheless, in some cases, it invades the nervous system, leads to irreversible paralysis.

The symptoms usually appear 3 to 21 days after infection, including fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, and muscle stiffness. But the onset of paralysis is quite rapid, within 3 to 4 days, such as severe muscle pain, swallowing and breathing problems, and possible deaths — due to swallowing and breathing muscles are paralyzed. The symptomatic individuals who develop paralytic polio can run into long-term disability.

Immunization is the best prevention and protection against polio. There are two types of vaccines: oral polio vaccine (OPV) dan inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), given to children at 2, 3, 4, and 5 months old. This vaccine can be combined with vaccine for other infectious disease.

You can check the schedule of vaccination in KIA book.

The side effect of polio vaccines are unusual, probably mild and transient in several days after vaccination. There are fever, localized pain, and swelling at the injection site. Children can be irritable and cry, but isn’t required a specific treatment. If pain or fever is present, parents can give water to drink and paracetamol. It’s important to seek medical advice if children have serious side effect or allergic reactions.