Vaccine to Prevent Five Childhood Diseases

            Drug Manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, announced Monday, June 23, 2008 that the FDA has licensed Pentacel® Vaccine.  Pentacel® is indicated for vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenza type b when administered to infants and children 6 weeks through 4 years of age (prior to fifth birthday).  The vaccine is the first and only four-dose diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis combination vaccine for use in infants and young children in the U.S. that includes both poliovirus and Hib antigens. 
           
The vaccine should be administered to infants and children at 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months of age.  The advent of Pentacel® may reduce the total number of injections administered to infants and children by seven.  Instead of the recommended 23 injections a child receives by the time he or she reaches 18 months of age, children will only require 16 injections to receive much needed immunity. 

Adverse effects of the vaccine were comparable to effects of those separately administered vaccines used in trials of Pentacel®.  Common adverse events associated with the use of Pentacel® include injection-site reactions, fever, fussiness, and crying.

References:

1. www.fda.gov
2. U.S. FDA Licenses Sanofi Pasteur’s New Pediatric Combination Vaccine, Pentacel®, Sanofi Pasteur, June 23, 2008.
3. Pentacel [package insert]. Swiftwater, PA: Sanofi Pasteur; 2008.

Dana Stone, PharmD. Candidate