April 2007
Polio vaccine (IPV)
When should my child not get polio vaccine? Your child should not get polio vaccine if she has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to:
When should my child wait to get polio vaccine? If your child is moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled, she should usually wait until she is well
before getting polio vaccine. Check with your child's doctor to see whether she should wait.
Tell your child's doctor if the child has any of the following conditions. The doctor may recommend that the child wait or not receive polio vaccine. Ask your doctor for more information if your child:
What are the side effects from polio vaccine and what should I do if they occur? A vaccine, like any medication, may cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of polio vaccine
causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Most children who get polio vaccine do not have any problems with it.
Polio vaccine can cause other side effects. Call your child's doctor if she has any unusual problems after receiving this
vaccine.
- A previous dose of polio vaccine
- Neomycin, streptomycin, or polymyxin B (antibiotics)
Tell your child's doctor if the child has any of the following conditions. The doctor may recommend that the child wait or not receive polio vaccine. Ask your doctor for more information if your child:
- Has HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system
- Is being treated with medications that affect the immune system, such as steroids, for two weeks or longer
- Has any type of cancer
- Is receiving cancer treatment with X-rays or medications
- Has had a reaction to any vaccine
| Side Effects (Mild) | What should I do? |
|---|---|
| Soreness, redness, swelling, or area of firmness where the shot was given | Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the sore area. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) for pain, as directed by your child’s doctor. Call the doctor if the symptoms get worse or do not go away |
| Fever | Give acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) as directed by your child’s doctor |
| Fussiness | Call your child’s doctor if this symptom gets worse or does not go away |
| Tiredness | Call your child’s doctor if this symptom gets worse or does not go away |
| Side Effects (Moderate or Severe) | What should I do? |
| Unusual changes in behavior | Call your child’s doctor |
| Serious allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; hoarseness or wheezing; hives; swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, or feet; paleness; weakness; fast heartbeat; or dizziness within a few minutes to a few hours after receiving the shot) | Get emergency medical care for your child right away |
| High fever | Call your child’s doctor right away |
