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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that can involve the nervous system and can cause paralysis. Polio is most common in infants and children but can occur in adults. Because of widespread polio vaccination, the disease is now very rare in developed countries but still occurs in developing countries where vaccination coverage is not complete. The October 13, 2004, issue of JAMA includes an article about changing recommendations for giving the polio vaccine in the United States.

POLIOVIRUS

• The poliovirus usually enters the body through the mouth from hands that have contacted the virus from an infected person.
  
• The virus can be found in the throat and multiplies in the intestines.
  
• The poliovirus can invade nerve cells that control muscles, including those involved with breathing.
  

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RELATED ARTICLE

Vaccine Policy Changes and Epidemiology of Poliomyelitis in the United States
Lorraine Niño Alexander, Jane F. Seward, Tammy A. Santibanez, Mark A. Pallansch, Olen M. Kew, D. Rebecca Prevots, Peter M. Strebel, Joanne Cono, Melinda Wharton, Walter A. Orenstein, and Roland W. Sutter
JAMA. 2004;292(14):1696-1701.
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