In the U.S., the last case of naturally occurring polio was in 1979. Today, despite a worldwide effort to wipe out polio, poliovirus continues to affect children and adults in parts of Asia and Africa.

Do adults need polio?

Routine poliovirus vaccination of U.S. adults (i.e., persons aged >18 years) is not necessary. Most adults do not need polio vaccine because they were already vaccinated as children and their risk of exposure to polioviruses in the United States is minimal.

Can you get polio if you are old?

Post-polio syndrome refers to a cluster of potentially disabling signs and symptoms that appear decades — an average of 30 to 40 years — after the initial polio illness. Polio once resulted in paralysis and death. However, the inactivated polio vaccine greatly reduced polio's spread.