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| Vaccine-Preventable Diseases |
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Polio |
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Polio is a disease caused by a virus. People have feared polio for hundreds of years because it can paralyze arm, leg, and breathing muscles. |
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Polio virus is spread when invisible particles of feces (poop) get into your mouth. You can get polio by swallowing contaminated food or water or by putting contaminated objects in your mouth. |
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Polio can be very serious. Sometimes the infected person's legs or arms become permanently paralyzed from the virus. Polio can also paralyze the breathing muscles and cause death. |
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Polio has been eliminated from the U.S., thanks to vaccination. But the virus is still
present in some parts of the world, so your child would be at risk of infection if they traveled to certain countries without being vaccinated. The virus could also be brought into the U.S. by a traveler. |
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Vaccination is the best way to prevent polio disease. |
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| Polio Vaccine Schedule |
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| You can protect your child from polio with vaccination. All children should get 3 doses of polio vaccine as babies (starting at 2 months of age) and a booster dose at 4-6 years old. If your child misses a dose or gets behind schedule, make sure they get the next dose as soon as possible. |
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| Trusted Websites |
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| Information about Polio |
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| Includes information about the disease, immunization, recommendations, and resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics |
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| Post-Polio Health International |
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| Organization helps enhance the lives and independence of polio survivors and home ventilator users through education and research |
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Video Library |
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| Twin Voices - A Memoir of Polio: This book trailer for "Twin Voices," by Janice Flood Nichols, provides a unique and timely glimpse into polio, a virus that killed and maimed millions of children and adults during the twentieth century. |
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| >> view all polio videos |
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| Personal Testimonies |
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| Stories of suffering and loss from polio |
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| Polio disease and vaccine information |
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| This page was updated
on May 17, 2018. |
| This page was reviewed
on May 11, 2018. |
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Immunization Action Coalition • 2550 University Avenue West • Suite 415 North • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 55114 |
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tel 651-647-9009 • fax 651-647-9131 |
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The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), a non-profit organization, works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance delivery of safe and effective immunization services. IAC also facilitates communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunization community of patients, parents, healthcare organizations, and government health agencies. |
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