Polio - Oral Polio Vaccine

Polio can be prevented with the help of immunization which is considered to be the best form of precaution against it. Getting knowledge about them becomes very significant as the total damage that can be done by this disease is immense and there is not much that can be done on the treatment front. There are two major forms in which immunization may be imparted to anyone individual looking for preventive measures, OPV and IPV. While both of them were discovered in the mid 20th century, IPV came out to be a better option in context to immunization and OPV was used in absence of experienced workers trained in medical field. The IPV is injected with the help of injections while OPV are drops which can be directly put in the mouth of the person who wants to get immunized.

OPV - Oral Polio Vaccination, as a result of preventive medicine research:

OPV was developed in the year 1961 by the medical researchers in the hope of finding a better solution to Polio. It works by producing antibodies against the polio virus in the body. These antibodies work by stopping the propagation of these foreign bodies in the human system hence keeping the nervous system safe. BY doing this, they ensure that the person inhabited by this virus does not experience paralysis. Thus, one may assume that the virus never really dies but is rendered effect less due to non ability to attack any region. Because of this factor, the virus does not stay in the oral region, the area responsible for the spread hence eliminating the contagious characteristic of the disease.

Advantages: The biggest advantage with OPV compared to its counterparts is that anyone can administer the drops. There is no training of any sort required and the medicine is easily available. Because these are drops and no injections are necessary, the cost is very cheap thus enabling even the poor to get access to it. This also helps the governments to undertake mass immunizations schemes which otherwise would not have been possible.

Another distinct advantage of this vaccination is that an unimmunized person may also get immunized by being in close proximity with someone who has been administered with the drops. This passive immunization feature has enabled the medical practitioners across the world to reduce the total cases of polio to a great extent and also make it extinct in some regions. Keeping all these advantages in mind, OPV is still considered to be the best vaccination to be imparted to the people. Compared to IPV, the OPV is highly beneficial.

Disadvantages: There have been cases in the past when even those who have been imparted with the OPV vaccination have encountered paralysis. This has started a debate on the effectiveness of this vaccination although the cases are extremely rare (1 in every million). Some doctors blame it on the patient's improper immune system but that is not the solution. Keeping these in mind, there is a worldwide demand of making both IPV and OPV a part of the national immunization schemes.