Experiences with

Poliomyelitis

Polio vaccination

The best way to prevent polio is to make sure you and your child are up to date with your vaccinations.

The polio vaccine is part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule.

The polio vaccine is given to children at:

• 8, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine
• 3 years, 4 months old as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster
• 14 years old as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster

You need all 5 of these vaccinations to be fully vaccinated against polio.

You can contact your GP surgery to check if you, or your child, are up to date with your polio vaccinations. For children and babies, you can also check their personal child health record (red book).

If you are not up to date, book an appointment with your GP surgery to get vaccinated free on the NHS.

You can have a polio vaccination at any point if you've never had one before, even if you're not travelling to a country with a risk of getting polio.

You should also get vaccinated even if you've had polio before as it protects against different types of polio.

How polio is spread

Polio is caused by a virus that spreads easily from person to person.

It usually spreads through contact with the poo of an infected person. For example, from not washing your hands properly and putting them in your mouth, or from contaminated food or water.

It can also spread through coughs or sneezes, but this is less common.

Your chance of getting polio in the UK is extremely low. This is because most people are fully vaccinated. Polio was eradicated in Europe in 2003.

There's still an extremely small risk of catching it when travelling in a country where polio is still found, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.

If you're not vaccinated, there is also a very small risk of getting it through contact with a person bringing the polio virus from these countries when they return to the UK.

Symptoms of polio

Most people who get polio do not have symptoms.

Some people get mild, flu-like symptoms, such as:

• a high temperature
• extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• headaches
• being sick (vomiting)
• a stiff neck
• muscle pain

These symptoms usually last up to 10 days.

Rarely, polio can lead to more serious symptoms that affect the brain and nerves, such as weakness in your muscles (paralysis), usually in the legs. This can happen over hours or days.

If the paralysis affects the muscles used for breathing, it can be life threatening.

Most people will recover, and movement will slowly come back over the next few weeks. Some people can be left with permanent disability.

• are not able to move part, or all, of your body – the body part may also feel stiff, floppy or numb
• are having difficulty breathing or are breathless

You have flu-like symptoms and:

• you're worried about a baby's or child's symptoms
• you're 65 or over
• you're pregnant
• you have a long-term medical condition – for example, diabetes or a heart, lung, kidney or neurological disease
• you have a weakened immune system – for example, because of chemotherapy or HIV
• your symptoms do not improve after 7 days

Check your symptoms on 111 online or call 111.

Treatments for polio

There is no treatment for polio, but some types of care will help lower the risk of long-term problems.

This can include:

• bed rest in hospital
• painkillers
• help with breathing
• regular stretches and exercises to prevent problems with your muscles and joints

You may need to have specialist help such as physiotherapy or surgery if you have any long-term problems caused by polio.

Complications of polio

Polio can cause long-term or lifelong difficulties.

Some people may be permanently paralysed, and others may have problems that need long-term treatment and support.

This can include:

• muscle weakness
• problems with your joints
• swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)

If you've had polio before, you may develop symptoms again or your symptoms may get worse, sometimes decades later. This is called post-polio syndrome.

Polio is caused by a virus that usually spreads through contact with the poo of an infected person. It's mainly found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Polio can be prevented by vaccination. Children in the UK are routinely vaccinated against it. You can also get vaccinated before travelling abroad.

Most people with polio do not have any symptoms or only have mild symptoms like a high temperature and headaches. Rarely, polio can cause paralysis.

There is no treatment for polio, but some types of care, such as pain relief and stretches, will help lower the risk of long-term problems.

Some people can have long-term or lifelong problems caused by polio. These can include muscle weakness, stiff joints and swallowing difficulties.

Related links

Polio

HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence