NEW YORK (Reuters) -- News to make a lot of babies happy: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the combination of two immunization shots into one. ActHIB, a vaccine for Haemophilus influenza type b infection (Hib), can be combined with Tripedia, a triple vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).
The pertussis component of the Tripedia vaccine is of the recently approved acellular type, judged to have fewer side effects than the whole cell form of the vaccine.
"This is an improvement in that we have the safety of the acellular vaccine for infants in a single injection, and can reduce the number of injections," said Dr. Richard Zimmerman, assistant professor of family medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
The new combination is approved for use as the fourth dose of the pertussis series, given between ages 15-18 months.
Last July, the FDA approved the first acellular pertussis vaccine for use in infants during the first four doses of a five dose vaccine series.
The acellular pertussis (or whooping cough) vaccine differs from the whole cell vaccine in that only the part of the bacteria that stimulates the production of protective antibodies is used.
"Acellular pertussis vaccines as a group are much safer than whole cell pertussis vaccine, and have approximately one third of the side effects of whole cell pertussis vaccines," said Zimmerman.
"Hib, by itself is a very safe and effective vaccine. It has had almost no side effects other than soreness at the injection sight, but no significant side effects. So, it's already a very safe vaccine," he noted.
Both ActHIB and Tripedia are distributed by Connaught Laboratories of Swiftwater, Pennsylvania. A company spokesman, Len Lavenda, said that the cost of the combination vaccine is comparable to the cost of single vaccines. "There is no difference in cost," said Lavenda.
However, the consumer could see a cost saving from needing fewer visits to the pediatrician. "It is possible that it would cut down the number of office visits, said Zimmerman, although he cautioned it would depend on "the number of injections a parent is willing to accept, the number of injections a physician is willing to order, and the philosophy of the provider. Some providers think you need visits even when there are not injections due, others think the immunizations drive the schedule."
Haemophilus influenza type b infection is a common cause of bacterial meningitis in infants, and can have serious effects such as mental retardation, blindness, and deafness.
