PCP, PSMID release statement on polio

On September 23, 2019, the Philippine Society of Physicians (PCP) and the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) released a joint statement on polio disease awareness and prevention campaign for healthcare practitioners.

The statement does not “routinely recommend” oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) for adults. Vaccination in adults is only recommended when there is a “higher risk of exposure such as those who will travel to endemic areas, those with occupational exposure, and those with close contact to persons likely or suspected to have been infected with the poliovirus.”

Adults “at increased risk of exposure and [who] has never been vaccinated against polio” are also recommended to “receive 3 doses of IPV–the first two doses given 1-2 months apart and the third dose 6-12 months after the second” or, “in situations where time will not allow the completion of this schedule, a more accelerated schedule is possible (e.g. each dose separated 4 weeks from the previous dose).”

The statement also mentions that “if an adult at risk has previously received polio vaccine, but only 1-2 doses of [the] polio vaccine [was given], the adult should receive the remaining dose(s) of IPV, regardless of the interval since the lase dose.”

Moreover, “an adult at increased risk who has previously completed a primary course of polio vaccine (3 or more doses) … may have the option tot receive 1 dose of IPV to ensure protection.”

The statement also recommends improved environmental sanitation, hand hygiene, clean source of water, and active surveillance by the Department of Health.

To read the complete joint statement, please click here.