How Should Children Correctly Take the Sugar Pill?
Disease description:
I plan to take my baby to the hospital tomorrow for vaccination. This time, it’s the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which is administered as a sugar-coated tablet that must be taken orally. I’m concerned that my baby might refuse to swallow it. Could you please advise on the correct way for a child to take the OPV tablet?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Jiang Zhiyang
The “sugar pill” is a colloquial term for the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). To ensure effective antibody production, it must be administered correctly. It should be taken with cooled boiled water (boiled water cooled to room temperature) and must not be administered concurrently with breastfeeding—maternal antibodies in breast milk may reduce vaccine efficacy. Ideally, the sugar pill should be given between feedings, or feeding should be avoided for at least 30 minutes after administration.
