New Children's Vaccine Means Fewer Shots

One Vaccine Protects Against 5 Infections, Reduces Number Of Injections A Child Receives Before Age 2

(WebMD)  A new five-in-one vaccine means fewer shots are needed to protect babies and toddlers from potentially dangerous infections.

The FDA has approved Pentacel, the first combination vaccine to protect children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections. Hib infections include meningitis and pneumonia.

"The FDA approval of Pentacel is great news for parents and pediatricians who want to reduce the stress of well-baby visits," Tina Q. Tan, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, says in a statement.

The vaccine is approved for use in infants and children aged 6 weeks through 4 years. It is not for use in children over age 5. Pentacel is given in four doses, once at ages 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months.

According to the CDC, children under 18 months who follow the recommended childhood immunization schedule and receive single-entity vaccines would typically need up to 23 shots. The new combination vaccine could reduce that number by seven.

"Pentacel vaccine will help simplify the immunization schedule by reducing the number of injections infants and young children will receive in their first 2 years of life," Wayne Pisano, president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur, the drug manufacturer, says in a news release.

Pentacel's approval came after results of a study involving more than 5,000 children in the U.S. and Canada showed that the vaccine was safe and effective. The study compared Pentacel to several vaccines, some of which guard against one disease (such as the polio vaccine) and others that prevent more than one disease (such as the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine).

The most common side effects were redness at the injection site, swelling, tenderness, and fever. Some people may be allergic to parts of the Pentacel vaccine. Persons who have had reactions to the tetanus or pertussis-containing vaccine may not be able to receive Pentacel.

[garbosmed]

Well, if this doesn''t push a bunch of kids into adverse reactions and autism, I don''t know what will...

[Syndicate]

It may be better to have more shots. The problem is the body now has to identify more viruses. This may stress the immune system causing high fevers and the symptoms of autism. However if a child can get autism like symptoms from a vaccine the actual disease would probably be fatal. Make sure your kid is healthy before getting vaccinations.

[justfacts2]

You know, rf35, you are not only a sicko but a moron as well. Garbosmed was not inferring that he/she wasn''t going to get their children vaccinated. He/She was making a clear point that mixing vaccines and lumping them together is not a good idea. The old fashioned way of getting them one by one seems much better. It gives the body a chance to acclimate to the vaccine. Overloading a child''s body with a conglomerate of vaccines really isn''t a good choice. Children, just like adults, should not be lumped into a "one size fits all" category. Other things have to be considered as well. Especially if the child was born premature, has a compromised immune system, etc.

[rational_1]

lumping them together is not a good idea. The old fashioned way of getting them one by one seems much better. It gives the body a chance to acclimate to the vaccine.
Posted by justfacts2 at 03:50 PM : Jun 25, 2008

Upon what evidence do you base those statements? Just what is the nature of this acclimatization? I''m not being flip, I''m asking this in all seriousness.

[garbosmed]

I missed whatever offensive comment was deleted already but yes, actually, my kids are both mostly vaccinated, which is why they were diagnosed with the illnesses they have. My son was diagnosed autistic, but it turns out he had mercury poisoning from his vaccines. My daughter was diagnosed with motor coordination and speech problems akin to mild cerebral palsy after her last round of shots. It turns out she had toxic levels of aluminum. And it turns out they both have egg allergies which means they shouldn''t have received DTaP shots at all. IMHO, combining so many toxic and viral elements and injecting them into an immature immune system causes dysfunction that prevents the young body from adequately clearing those same toxins and leads to autoimmune diseases. Failing to adequately evaluate the babies for allergies and metabolic problems before they receive the first shot is something that really should be addressed. On the plus side, there''s less adjuvant and less preservative if there are less shots, but combining all those elements into one shot ensures that it is more difficult to learn the root cause of a bad reaction.

[kibitzer3]

"The most common side effects were redness at the injection site, swelling, tenderness, and fever. Some people may be allergic to parts of the Pentacel vaccine. Persons who have had reactions to the tetanus or pertussis-containing vaccine may not be able to receive Pentacel."
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Hib v alone is already implicated in enhanced antibody responses, thus creating a hypersensitivity to proteins encountered during and after vaccinations, esp. in children with a tendency toward allergy. We''re talking the potential of anaphylaxis. Also, the Hib v has been implicated (by the Classens) in causing type 1 diabetes, to the point of making the risks from it greater than the potential benefit. And here it is, to be combined with other vaccines and their adjuvants...not good thinking.

[kibitzer3]

We should be going away from ''too many, too soon'', not enhancing the potential dangers. It''s way past time for a major investigation in this matter, of the relative risks vs benefits of various vaccines. ''Safe and effective'' is not a mantrum that will work anymore, with more savvy parents out there these days, esp. with the major increase in ASD. Ever since the major increase in the v schedule...but then ''correlation is not causation''. No, and, it is no feather in the cap of the health authorities that they haven''t run the definitive studies long called for to look into this whole matter, to check out how much fire is ''correlated'' with all the smoke coming from this practice.