Viremia Following the Administration of Live Poliovirus Vaccines

Abstract

Forty-six single, double and triple antibody negative individuals were assigned to vaccine groups for oral administration of the then proposed monovalent poliovirus vaccine of Lederle Type 1 or one of the strains comprising the three Sabin vaccines. In the absence of demonstrable homotypic antibody, viremia of varying duration and levels of virus concentration was detected in six of thirteen individuals fed Sabin Type 2 poliovirus vaccine and five of fourteen fed Lederle Type 1 poliovirus vaccine strains. Infection rates of all vaccine groups as determined by pharyngeal and rectal isolations of virus were significantly depressed when circulating antibodies could be demonstrated. The relationship of viremia to pre-immunization antibody status and to primary sites of infection and the importance of levels and duration of circulating virus are discussed.