FOUR IS BETTER THAN NINE. A COMBINED DIPHTHERIA-TETANUS-PERTUSSIS-HEPATITIS B-HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B VACCINE FOR ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION IN MALAYSIA

• Published in: Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 474 - 483
• Main Authors: WONG, Swee-Lan, SOOSAI, Padma, TEOH, Yee-Leong, HAN, Htay-Htay, LEFEVRE, Inge, BOCK, Hans L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bangkok Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network 01.05.2008; Central Coordinating Board, SEAMEO-TROPMED Project
• Subjects: Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibody Formation; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Biological and medical sciences; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine - administration & dosage; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine - adverse effects; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine - immunology; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Ent and stomatologic bacterial diseases; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; General aspects; Haemophilus Vaccines - administration & dosage; Haemophilus Vaccines - adverse effects; Haemophilus Vaccines - immunology; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B Vaccines - administration & dosage; Hepatitis B Vaccines - adverse effects; Hepatitis B Vaccines - immunology; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immune response; Immunization; Immunization Schedule; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infectious diseases; Injections, Intramuscular; Malaysia; Medical sciences; Public health; Radioimmunoassay; Vaccines; Vaccines, Combined - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Combined - adverse effects; Vaccines, Combined - immunology; Vaccines, Conjugate - adverse effects; Vaccines, Conjugate - immunology; Asia; Malaysia; Immunization; Respiratory disease; Vaccination; Hepatic disease; Vaccine; Diphtheria; Whooping cough; Infection; Viral hepatitis B; Prevention; Immunoprophylaxis; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Digestive diseases; Tropical medicine; Tetanus
• ISSN: 0125-1562

Malaysian infants would have to receive nine injections during the first few months of life in order to be protected against disease caused by hepatitis B (HBV), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) if single HBV and Hib vaccines were used. We evaluated a combined DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine administered at 1.5, 3 and 5 months after a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine (HBV). One month after completion of the primary vaccination, 99% of subjects had seroprotective anti-HBV antibody levels, and at least 98% had seroprotective antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus, and Hib, and were seropositive for pertussis antibodies. The immune response to the combined vaccine was comparable to that induced by separate injections with DTPw, HBV and Hib vaccines. Overall, the DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine was as well tolerated as separate administration of DTPw, HBV and Hib vaccines. The combined DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine induces protection against five diseases as recommended in the Malaysian routine vaccination schedule. Use of the combined DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine can reduce the required number of injections from nine to four in the first few months of life.