The development of polio vaccines: The current update (review)

Abstract

The dramatic history of the development and use of polio vaccines reflects the evolution of vaccine preparations under the influence of changing epidemiological conditions and socio-economic factors. The invention of two polio vaccines — the inactivated Salk vaccine and the live oral vaccine from Sabin strains, each with its own advantages and disadvantages — is on the list of the most significant medical achievements of the XX century. Over the past 50 years, these vaccines were used in various modalities, schemes, and combinations. As a result, poliomyelitis has been completely eradicated in almost all countries of the world. The sustained WHO-led efforts toward full eradication of the disease are expected to result in complete cessation of the virus circulation. In this case, the poliovirus, like the smallpox virus, will remain only in laboratories. However, it would be unreasonable to stop the vaccination even after the pathogen circulation has been stopped like it was in the case with the elimination of smallpox virus. Unlike the smallpox vaccination, vaccines against poliomyelitis will not lose their relevance in the near future because these two viruses significantly differ from each other in terms of biological and epidemiological characteristics.