Polio Eradication Officer Interview Question:

Is OPV safe for sick children and newborns?

Submitted by: Muhammad

Yes. OPV is safe to be given to sick children. In fact it is particularly critical that sick children are immunized during the campaigns, and newborn babies, because their immunity levels are lower than other children. All sick children and newborns should be immunized during the coming campaigns to give them the protection against polio that they desperately need.
Mothers and caretakers should remember that Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is not treatment for other childhood illnesses a child may have prior to immunization. Therefore, a mother/caretaker whose child gets polio vaccines when the child had a pre-existing illness, should take the child to the nearest health centre for proper medical care.
Submitted by: Muhammad