Preventative measures for polio include which option?

• A. Quarantine only
• B. Vaccination with IPV or OPV
• C. Antibiotics
• D. No prevention

Answer: (B)

Prevention of polio hinges on vaccination to build protection against the poliovirus. Polio is caused by a virus, so antibiotics won’t stop it and quarantine alone doesn’t provide lasting immunity or prevent spread in the community. Vaccinating with either the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) or the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is what effectively prevents infection and disease.

IPV delivers an immune response through the bloodstream, giving systemic protection that helps prevent paralytic disease if exposure occurs. OPV, given by mouth, stimulates immunity in the gut lining, reducing the virus’s ability to replicate there and lowering transmission to others. Both vaccines are central to stopping polio and achieving herd immunity; they are the reason polio cases have dropped dramatically worldwide. While OPV has benefits, it can carry a small risk of vaccine-derived poliovirus, so vaccination strategies may vary by setting, but the core preventive measure remains vaccination.