Inactivated Polio Vaccine


Jonas Salk's inactivated polio vaccine was developed in 1951. His group of researchers found that when the poliovirus was suspended from the fluid of infected monkey kidney cells and treated with the formalin, the virus became inactivated and was able to induce immunity.

The IPV is given as three intravenous injections at monthly intervals and contains all three serotypes of poliovirus. The initial dose induces the classical primary immune response to an antigen and the subsequent doses enhance secondary responses.