12 Feb 2009 05:00 AM
'Five-in-One' Vaccine Increases On-Time Immunization In Children
A "5-in-1" combination vaccine increases the percentage of children receiving all recommended vaccinations at the scheduled time, reports a study in the February issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
The combination vaccine reduces by half the number of days that infants and young children are unprotected against serious infections, according to the new study. The lead author was Laura E. Happe, Pharm.D., M.P.H., of Xcenda, Palm Harbor, Fla.
The researchers used data from the Georgia Medicaid program to determine how the 5-in-1 combination vaccine affected the timeliness of recommended childhood vaccinations. Approved in 2003, the "DTaP/HepB/IPV" vaccine protects against five different diseases:
-- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis ("whooping cough") vaccines against these three diseases are usually given together in a combined "DTaP" vaccine.
-- Hepatitis B infection with the hepatitis B virus can be prevented with the "HepB" vaccine.
-- Polio prevented using the inactivated polio vaccine, "IPV."
Timelier Vaccination, More Days of Coverage, with 5-in-1 Vaccine
The study compared 2,880 Georgia children who received the five-vaccine combination with 2,672 who received the three-vaccine DTaP combination. This comparison group was used because they had a similar "propensity" to be vaccinated. Three shots with the DTaP/HepB/IPV vaccine protect against all five diseases. Children receiving DTaP vaccine would need at least six additional shots of IPV and HepB vaccine to obtain the same protection…
The combination vaccine reduces by half the number of days that infants and young children are unprotected against serious infections, according to the new study. The lead author was Laura E. Happe, Pharm.D., M.P.H., of Xcenda, Palm Harbor, Fla.
The researchers used data from the Georgia Medicaid program to determine how the 5-in-1 combination vaccine affected the timeliness of recommended childhood vaccinations. Approved in 2003, the "DTaP/HepB/IPV" vaccine protects against five different diseases:
-- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis ("whooping cough") vaccines against these three diseases are usually given together in a combined "DTaP" vaccine.
-- Hepatitis B infection with the hepatitis B virus can be prevented with the "HepB" vaccine.
-- Polio prevented using the inactivated polio vaccine, "IPV."
Timelier Vaccination, More Days of Coverage, with 5-in-1 Vaccine
The study compared 2,880 Georgia children who received the five-vaccine combination with 2,672 who received the three-vaccine DTaP combination. This comparison group was used because they had a similar "propensity" to be vaccinated. Three shots with the DTaP/HepB/IPV vaccine protect against all five diseases. Children receiving DTaP vaccine would need at least six additional shots of IPV and HepB vaccine to obtain the same protection…
