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Usually infants are immunized
with a trivalent vaccine containing diphtheria toxoid, pertussis vaccine, and tetanus
toxoid (DPT). Toxoid is given in 2 or 3 doses 1 month apart at 3-4 months of age. A
booster injection is given a year later. Several booster shots can be given during
childhood. The morbidity and mortality of many
diseases has been remarkably reduced by appropriate vaccinactions. Diphtheria is one of
the best known and is now combined with several other diseases including inactivated
polio. On December 13, 2002, the US Food and Drug Administration licensed a combined
diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed hepatitis B (recombinant)
and inactivated poliovirus vaccine for use in infants ages 2, 4 and 6 months. Combination
of hepatitis A vaccine and HBV was safe and effective. Those vaccines to be combined in
the future are MMR-varicella, pneumococcal-meningococcal. |
