In this article we will tell you about how the name of this vaccine is deciphered, and at what age it is made.
Explanation of the name of the OPV vaccination
The abbreviation OPV stands for "oral poliomyelitis vaccine". In this case, the word "oral" means that this vaccine is administered orally, that is, through the mouth.
This is the reason for the complexity of the procedure for the vaccination of OPV against poliomyelitis. The drug, which must be introduced into the baby's mouth, has a pronounced bitter-salty taste. Young infants do not yet have to explain that this is a medicine that must be swallowed, and they very often regurgitate or spit out the vaccine. In addition, the baby can snatch because of the unpleasant taste of the drug.
In this regard, the doctor or nurse who conducts the vaccine should drip the medication exactly on the lymphoid tissue of the pharynx of newborn infants under the age of 1 year or on the palatine tonsils of children that turned one year old. In these areas there are no taste buds, and the child will not spit out the unpleasant taste of the vaccine.
At what age do they get an OPV vaccine?
The schedule of vaccination against poliomyelitis in each country is established by the Ministry of Health. In any case, to achieve immunity against this disease, OPV vaccine is given to the child at least 5 times.
In Russia they will have 3 polio immunizations at the age of 3, 4.5 and 6 months, in Ukraine - upon reaching the baby 3, 4 and 5 months. Then the child will have to transfer 3 revaccinations, or re-vaccination OPV, according to the following scheme:
- the first revaccination (r1) is performed at the age of 18 months;
- second revaccination (r2) of OPV vaccination - at the age of 20 months in Russia, and 6 years in Ukraine;
- finally, the third revaccination (r3) should be performed by a teenager at 14 years of age.
Many parents and adolescents themselves are interested in the fact that they have to transfer OPV for the r3 vaccine, and whether it can be done. The third stage of polio vaccine revaccination is no less important than previous ones, because OPV vaccine is live, which means that a stable immunity in a child will be formed only after repeated administration of the drug.