Polio immunization: dealing with new recommendations and helping parents understand the changes.

After remaining unaltered for almost 3 decades, the guidelines for polio immunization have recently undergone some major changes. A shift away from use of the live oral poliovirus vaccine has occurred, and an increasing preference is being shown for the killed injectable poliovirus vaccine for at least the first 2 doses. The purposes of this article are to review the history of polio and polio vaccines; compare the risks, benefits, and indications of the 2 available vaccines; discuss the rationale for changes in recommendations; and help nurse practitioners guide parents in making decisions about vaccines.