# Polio (Poliomyelitis): Symptoms, Paralysis and Vaccine

> Polio is a viral infection that causes irreversible paralysis in about one of every 200 infections. There is no cure, and only vaccination protects. Learn the symptoms and the schedule used in Georgia.

## What polio is and how it spreads

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a viral infection of the nervous system, mainly the spinal cord cells that control muscles. The virus passes from person to person, mostly by the fecal-oral route: dirty hands, contaminated water and food. Less often it spreads by coughing and sneezing. The virus is shed in stool for several weeks, including by people who never get sick and do not know they are infected.

Children under 5 are affected most often, but any unvaccinated person can catch it.

## Polio symptoms

Roughly 70% of infected people have no symptoms at all. The rest can have:

- **A mild illness** like flu or a stomach bug: fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain;
- **Involvement of the brain lining:** neck stiffness and a severe headache;
- **Paralytic polio,** in fewer than 1% of infections: after intense muscle pain, weakness develops over hours or days in one or both legs (less often the arms). The muscles go limp and reflexes are lost.

The paralysis is usually uneven and mostly affects the legs, while sensation is preserved. A doctor, not you, should work out whether leg weakness is polio or something else.

## Why polio is dangerous

According to WHO, about 1 in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. When the breathing muscles are affected, 5 to 10% of those patients die. ECDC reports that in outbreaks, mortality in paralytic polio ranged from 2 to 5% in children and 15 to 30% in teenagers and adults. Some survivors develop muscle weakness again many years later, so follow-up with a neurologist continues after recovery.

## Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis is confirmed in the laboratory by testing stool and throat swabs for the virus. There is no specific treatment for polio. Care is supportive: rest, pain relief, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and mechanical ventilation in a hospital if breathing muscles are involved. This is why vaccination is the only protection. An infectious disease specialist and a neurologist plan the evaluation and care.

## Polio vaccine in Georgia

Georgia's national preventive vaccination calendar (Minister's Order No. 01-60/n, current version of July 13, 2023) uses the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which is part of combination vaccines:

- at 2, 3 and 4 months: the six-in-one (hexavalent) vaccine, covering diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hib, hepatitis B and polio; three doses at least 4 weeks apart;
- at 18 months and 5 years: the DTaP/P booster, where P stands for polio.

If a child aged 2 to 13 has not been vaccinated, they receive DTaP/P in three doses on a catch-up schedule (at least 4 weeks between the first and second, and 6 months recommended between the second and third). The national calendar does not include a separate polio vaccine for adults. Adults who are unsure of their protection, such as unvaccinated people or those with an unknown history, and especially people planning travel to countries with polio, should discuss it with a doctor. For children under 18, calendar vaccines are free under the state program. Clinics in Georgia list Hexaxim, Infanrix hexa and Tetraxim. Vaccination prices at clinics in Georgia are shown further down this page.

Wild polio remains in two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to WHO. The WHO European Region, which includes Georgia, was certified polio-free in 2002. As long as the virus circulates anywhere, the risk of importation remains, so do not skip vaccinations.

The same schedule also protects babies against [diphtheria](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/diphtheria), [tetanus](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/tetanus) and [Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/hib).

## When to see a doctor urgently

- sudden weakness or limpness in a leg or arm, especially after a feverish illness;
- neck stiffness with a high fever;
- trouble breathing or swallowing;
- contact with someone with polio when a child is unvaccinated.

If breathing is difficult, call an ambulance at 112.

## Vaccination

- Hexaxim · Free · Free under the state programme, visit 150 GEL · price as of 05.10.2026 — Genova clinic: https://bigmed.ge/en/clinics/genova-clinic
- Hexaxim · 330 GEL (course 990 GEL) · free under the state programme · price as of 08.10.2026 — Rcheuli medical: https://bigmed.ge/en/clinics/rcheuli-medical
- Tetraxim · Free · Free under the state programme, visit 150 GEL · price as of 05.10.2026 — Genova clinic: https://bigmed.ge/en/clinics/genova-clinic
- Tetraxim · 230 GEL · free under the state programme · price as of 08.10.2026 — Rcheuli medical: https://bigmed.ge/en/clinics/rcheuli-medical

## Doctors

- Giorgi Basheleishvili — Pediatrician, General practitioner: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/giorgi-basheleishvili (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/giorgi-basheleishvili.md)
- Salome Akhvlediani — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/salome-ahvlediani (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/salome-ahvlediani.md)
- Khatuna Loladze — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/khatuna-loladze (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/khatuna-loladze.md)
- Margarita Zakharevich — Pediatrician, Hematologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/margarita-zaharevic (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/margarita-zaharevic.md)
- Dmitry Semin — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/dimitri-siomin (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/dimitri-siomin.md)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can polio be cured?

No drug kills the virus. Treatment is supportive, and the effects of paralysis can be permanent.

### Which is better, drops or an injection?

In Georgia's national calendar the polio vaccine is part of inactivated (injectable) products. A doctor decides which vaccine to use.

### Do adults need a vaccine?

Georgia's national calendar does not include a separate polio vaccine for adults. If you are not sure you were vaccinated in childhood, or you are traveling to a risk area, ask your doctor.

### Is the vaccine safe?

The inactivated vaccine contains no live virus and cannot cause polio. Redness and soreness at the injection site and a mild fever are possible.

### Can someone who had polio get it again?

There are three virus types, and immunity after illness develops only to the type a person had, so everyone needs the vaccine.

## Related articles

- Vaccination for Kindergarten in Georgia: What Parents Need to Know: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/vaccination-kindergarten-georgia (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/vaccination-kindergarten-georgia.md)
- Childhood Vaccination in Georgia in 2026: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/childhood-vaccination-in-georgia-in-2026 (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/childhood-vaccination-in-georgia-in-2026.md)

---

Canonical: https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/polio
Country: Georgia (GE), the country in the South Caucasus
Updated: 2026-10-04T14:14:35+04:00