Comparison of the Immunogenicity and Safety of Three Enhanced Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccines from Different Manufacturers in Healthy Korean Infants: A Prospective Multicenter Study

The enhanced inactivated poliovirus vaccine was first introduced in 2002, and several inactivated poliovirus vaccines are licensed in Korea. Reliable data by a prospective study on the immunogenicity and safety of the inactivated poliovirus vaccines in Korean infants are required. Normal healthy infants aged 6–12 weeks received three doses of the vaccine (IPVAX™, Imovax Polio™ or Poliorix™) in intervals of 2 months. Neutralizing antibody (NTAb) titers were measured before and 4–6 weeks after three-dose primary vaccination. Immunogenicity was evaluated by seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers obtained by analyzing NTAb titers. Local and systemic adverse events were recorded during 7 days after each vaccination. A total of 150 infants were included: 40 in IPVAX™, 52 in Imovax Polio™, and 58 in Poliorix™. The seroconversion rates for the group vaccinated with IPVAX™ were 100% in types 1, 2 and 3, while those of Imovax Polio™ were 98.1%, 96.2%, 96.2% and those of Poliorix™ were 98.3%, 100%, 100%, respectively. In all groups, injection site redness and irritability were the most common local and systemic adverse events. Neither serious adverse events nor adverse events above grade 2 were reported throughout the study. The currently used inactivated poliovirus vaccines was demonstrated to be safe and immunogenic in healthy Korean infants.