Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Bivalent Oral Poliovirus Vaccine and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine in Nigerian Children

Background We conducted a trial in Nigeria to assess the immunogenicity of the new bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine + inactivated poliovirus vaccine (bOPV+IPV) immunization schedule and gains in type 2 immunity with addition of second dose of IPV. The trial was conducted in August 2016–March 2017, well past the trivalent OPV-bOPV switch in April 2016. Methods This was an open-label, 2-arm, noninferiority, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. We enrolled 572 infants aged ≤14 days and randomized them into 2 arms. Arm A received bOPV at birth, 6, and 10 weeks, bOPV+IPV at week 14, and IPV at week 18. Arm B received IPV each at 6, 10, and 14 weeks and bOPV at 18 weeks of age. Results Seroconversion rates for poliovirus types 1 and 3, respectively, were 98.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 96.7–99.8) and 98.1% (95% CI, 88.2–94.8) in Arm A and 89.6% (95% CI, 85.4–93.0) and 98.5% (95% CI, 96.3–99.6) in Arm B. Type 2 seroconversion with 1 dose IPV in Arm A was 72.0% (95% CI, 66.2–77.3), which increased significantly with addition of second dose to 95.9% (95% CI, 92.8–97.9). Conclusions This first trial on the new Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) schedule in a sub-Saharan African country demonstrated excellent immunogenicity against poliovirus types 1 and 3 and substantial/enhanced immunogenicity against poliovirus type 2 after 1 to 2 doses of IPV, respectively.