The replacement of water with deuterium oxide significantly improves the thermal stability of the oral poliovirus vaccine.

The poliomyelitis eradication programme relies largely on the massive administration of the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). The major difficulty in assuring good vaccine coverage, especially in hot climates, is the thermostability of the vaccine. Several attempts have been made to stabilize the OPV with limited benefits. In this report, we describe a heavy water based stabilization procedure, which has been shown to increase the thermostability of the vaccine, notably at temperatures which are commonly encountered during usual transportation in conditions of cold chain failure. Safety considerations regarding the human use of heavy water containing bioproducts are discussed.