Does another child getting OPV put mine at risk?

[bluedaisy]

I'll be traveling to Kenya this summer with my 13mo (who will be 18mo at the time of travel).

I've written lots of posts about this because i'm researching each vax/disease and deciding if we're going to get her any (she's unvaxed).

So in Kenya they give the OPV (live polio) to all kids (which makes me so angry - people know it's unsafe and yet it's still given to the kids in Kenya, as though their safety is less important than the safety of American children )

Anyway, I've read that pretty much all cases of polio now are from the OPV directly or indirectly through shedding.

there were no cases of polio in kenya in 2007 or 2008, so i'm not concerned about her catching it naturally.

should i be concerned about her being exposed to polio from all the kids who get the OPV? Would you consider that risk enough to get the IPV for her before we leave?

[Turquesa]

I'm not as savvy on these topics as other forum regulars, but allow me to give this a shot. To my understanding, OPV is an extremely effective vaccine that was pulled from the market because immuno-compromised individuals (esp. elderly) were getting exposed to the virus from the shedding. Polio is transmitted fecally, so as an example, a grandmother would get exposed while changing the diaper of a recently vaxed baby.

To prevent transmission while you're in Kenya, you should take all of those commonsense precautions that you would have taken while traveling anyway. Be super wary of exposing your LO in any way to non-potable water, which could have traces of the virus-containing poop (stemming from the OPV vax, of course. I don't believe that wild polio will be a factor there). Thoroughly wash anything you eat that would have been exposed to such water. And, of course, keep your hands clean.

Anyone else wanna chime in? I'm curious what I missed here...

[ema-adama]

Yes, your child would be at risk for developing polio in an environment where OPV is in use. Do you have any information on stats for polio cases from the vaccine in that area?

I would recommend looking into what options you have for protecting your child. Including, but not excusively, the vaccine.

What have you understood about polio and who is at risk for developing polio when exposed to the virus?

[Turquesa]

If it's any consolation to the OP, here are the stats on polio in Kenya. It looks like there haven't been any recorded cases in 10 years.