Since there is no long-term poliovirus carrier state in people with normal immune function, polioviruses do not exist in nature as non-primate reservoirs, and the likelihood that the virus will survive in the environment for an extended period of time is remote, vaccination is crucial to the global eradication of polio. There are two types of vaccines: oral polio vaccine and inactivated Polio Vaccines (IPV) (OPV).
Hilary Koprowski made the first successful polio vaccine demonstration in 1950 using a drinkable live attenuated virus. Although the Polio Vaccines was effectively utilised abroad, it was not licenced for use in the United States. In 1955, Jonas Salk's inactivated (killed) polio vaccine was declared successful. Albert Sabin created a different attenuated live oral polio vaccine, which saw widespread commercial use in 1961. The World Health Organization has a list of essential medicines that includes the Polio Vaccines.
