The response to oral poliovaccine in persons aged 16-18 years

Serum neutralizing antibodies to polioviruses were titrated in serum samples from 182 police cadets aged 16-18 years before and, in 168 of the cadets, 6 weeks after vaccination with a single dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV). Faecal excretion of poliovirus was also followed. Vaccination histories were obtained and confirmed whenever possible. Pre-vaccination antibody could not be detected against type 1 in 9-3% cadets, against type 2 in 2-7% and against type 3 in 7-7%. Absence of antibody to at least one virus type was found in 14-3% of the cadets. In 93 cadets in whom vaccination histories could be confirmed 40 had received only inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) previously; of these 23% lacked antibody to at least one virus type, and they had less intestinal immunity to a challenge dose of OPV than those previously given OPV. Only two of the cadets known to have had OPV were non-immune - both had received a single dose following full courses of IPV. However, cadets who had received OPV had their last dose of vaccine more recently (average 4-6 years) than those who had received only IPV (all 12 years or more). The serum antibody response to a single booster dose of OPV, and the faecal excretion of each type of virus after vaccination, showed an inverse relation to the corresponding pre-vaccination antibody concentration. A single dose of OPV did not reliably boost the immunity of those who possessed adequate immunity, and a failure to respond was also observed in a proportion of the cadets with no detectable antibody, mostly in the case of type 3 antibody and particularly if antibody to types 1 or 2 virus was also absent. No evidence was obtained that intestinal immunity could be expected in the absence of detectable circulating antibody. The reasons for the absence of a serological response to OPV in some subjects are discussed and consideration is given to the practical significance of the findings. It is suggested that reinforcement of polio immunity at school-leaving is important, particularly at the present time when many of those aged 16-18 years will have been vaccinated only with IPV. A single dose of OPV is not ideal for this purpose, not only because a small proportion of persons are liable to be left unprotected, but also because failure to produce a reliable boost in persons with adequate immunity at the time of vaccination gives rise to the possibility that they may become susceptible later in adult life.