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The live vaccine is not simply a “low budget version”, it’s more effective.

• tyingq 7y ago
  It is not.
  • Fomite 7y ago
    There's a number of reasons the live polio vaccine is preferred in developing countries. The biggest is that the OPV vaccine, as the name suggests, is oral. You don't need needles, which means it's easier to mass administer, you don't have to deal with sharps, etc. I think people vastly underestimate the logistical difficulties of delivering vaccines, especially injectables that require a cold chain like IPV. It also sheds, which is good if you're struggling with vaccine coverage. Whether this is a downside or not is a highly dynamic question - as we get closer, the side effects become a bigger deal, but part of the reason they're a big deal is because WT polio is so heavily suppressed.
  • milankragujevic 7y ago
    See this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attenuated_vaccine#Advantages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attenuated_vaccine#Advantages Advantages of an attenuated vaccine: - Activates all phases of the immune system - Provides more durable immunity; boosters are required less frequently [other are mainly logistics] The disadvantage is that it may cause a reversion to virulence in 3 per 1 000 000 doses given. And it cannot be used in immunocompromised individuals.