Biopolio B1/3 Vaccine: Bivalent oral Polio Vaccine type 1 & 3
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is used to prevent the Polio disease. It is vaccine marketed by Bharat Biotech. It is live attenuated Bivalent oral poliomyelitis Vaccine.
How is Biopolio B1/3 vaccine available?
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is available as liquid form. It is available as 2 ml multi-dose vial. It is available as vial with vaccine vial monitor. The vial is sealed with aluminium seal and a rubber cork. It is packed in a opaque packet to protect from sunlight.
It is bivalent that means it contains only type 1 and type 3 strain of live attenuated poliomyelitis virus.
One vial with 2 ml oral liquid contains 20 doses as one dose is 2 drops which is 0.1 ml.
How is Biopolio B1/3 vaccine stored?
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is stored at minus 20 degree Celsius. The temperature range should be maintained with the help of cold chain. The temperature range should be maintained at all levels of transport and storage.
Multi-dose can be stored at 2-8 degree Celsius till 28 days of the opening. One opened it should not be frozen.
WHO multi-dose vial policy suggests vaccine can be used if:
· The vaccine is currently pre qualified by WHO.
· The vaccine is approved for use upto 28 days after opening vial.
· The expiry date of vaccine has not been passed.
· The vaccine vial has been and continued to be stored at recommended temperature; furthermore, the vaccine vial monitor is visible on the vaccine label and is not past its discard point and vaccine has not been damaged by freezing.
How is Biopolio B1/3 vaccine given?
The vial with oral live attenuated bivalent polio vaccine liquid is opened by opening the aluminium seal and the rubber cork and the nozzle that comes with the vaccine is attached to the open end. Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is administered as oral drop. It is given in dosage 2 drops orally given at indicated schedule.
At what age Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is given?
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is given in routine immunization at birth and second dose is given at 5 years. If someone has missed the dose it should be given. All the other doses of polio vaccine are given as inactivated polio vaccine at age 6-10-14 weeks and 18 months of life.
In case inactivated injectable polio vaccine is not available the live polio virus vaccine Biopolio B1/3 can be used at age 6-10-14 weeks and 18 months age.
How does Biopolio B1/3 vaccine works?
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is active form of immunization but it is liquid active vaccine. Biopolio B1/3 vaccine contains live attenuated polio virus in a form without disease causing capacity. When this vaccine is given orally to a host the virus actually infects the hosts and multiplies in the body of the host like actual polio disease causing virus, the immunity of the host recognizes the antigen on polio virus.
The immunity is form against this virus and in the process the memory is also formed. When the real infection occurs the immune response is boosted against the infection and protects the person against the disease itself.
Safety with other vaccine:
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is safe with most other medicine and no drug interactions were noted.
Like other live vaccines Biopolio B1/3 vaccine is considered as not safe in pregnant and lactating woman, it should be avoided in this group of population.
This Vaccine should not be used in those with immunocompromized status and those with HIV AIDS stage 3 and stage 4 disease.
Concomitant administration of typhoid, tetanus and yellow fever vaccine is safe with Biopolio B1/3 vaccine.
Other live vaccine like chickenpox vaccine and MMR vaccine is either given on same day or 28 days apart.
Can this vaccine be given with Rotavirus oral vaccine?
Previously it was thought that both these vaccines given together will cause interfere in their work. No such association has been found and proven.
Recent studies indicate that this vaccine can given with rotavirus vaccine with no effect on capacity to induce immunity for both vaccines.
Can I breast feed my baby immediately after this vaccination?
Yes baby can be fed immediately after this vaccine given orally. The breast feeding has not found to be causing interference in capacity of vaccine to work. It can be safely given.
What are side effects of Biopolio B1/3 vaccine?
Biopolio B1/3 vaccine causes side effect that are generally milder and can be managed at home and does not need hospital admission:
No major side effect has been yet noted even after giving millions of doses world wide.
VADP vaccine associated polio disease is extremely rare phenomenon.
The virus can spread by feco-oral route to the person with immunocompromised state and extremely rarely can cause VADP.
Vaccine vial monitor:
Vaccine vial monitor is available on the bottle as a sticker.
It is made us of heat sensitive color changing material which changes color when exposed to higher temperature after a specific time period.
Thus it roughly indicates whether the vaccine has been exposed to higher temperature and can be used.
If the inner square is lighter in color than outer circle then vaccine can be used and not exposed to temperature more than 8 degree Celsius.
If inner square is darker in color than the outer circle then vaccine was exposed to the higher temperature and should be discarded.