Not Everyone Wants IPV; Opposition Gears Up

WITH United States childhood immunization policy leaning toward incorporating an inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), the voices of those in disagreement have become louder. To some extent, the protestations reflect a natural antipathy toward a change from the use of a familiar and well-established agent to something relatively unknown. But there are also some substantive issues, including a possible adverse impact on pediatric practice and public health immunization efforts, as well as the need to educate parents and providers about the use of the inactivated vaccine. Similar concerns were raised at a meeting held by the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in June at which the topic of using IPV in the immunization schedule was aired (JAMA. 1995;274:12-13). Since then, however, several additional groups have come forward to express concern. There has also developed a potential legal challenge to the authority of the CDC's