Decay of Sabin inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)-boosted poliovirus antibodies

IntroductionWe conducted a follow-on study to a phase I randomized, controlled trial conducted in Cuba, 2012, to assess the persistence of poliovirus antibodies at 21–22 months following booster dose of Sabin-IPV compared to Salk-IPV in adults who had received multiple doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) during childhood.MethodsIn 2012, 60 healthy adult males aged 19–23 were randomized to receive one booster dose, of either Sabin-inactivated poliovirus vaccine (Sabin-IPV), adjuvanted Sabin-IPV (aSabin-IPV), or conventional Salk-IPV. In the original study, blood was collected at days 0 (before) and 28 (after vaccination), respectively. In this study, an additional blood sample was collected 21–22 months after vaccination, and tested for neutralizing antibodies to Sabin poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3.ResultsWe collected sera from 59/60 (98.3%) subjects; 59/59 (100%) remained seropositive to all poliovirus types, 21–22 months after vaccination. The decay curves were very similar among the study groups. Between day 28 and 21–22 months, there was a reduction of ⩾87.4% in median antibody levels for all poliovirus types in all study groups, with no significant differences between the study groups.ConclusionThe decay of poliovirus antibodies over a 21–22-month period was similar regardless of the type of booster vaccine used, suggesting the scientific data of Salk IPV long-term persistence and decay may be broadly applicable to Sabin IPV.