SAFETY AND IMMUNOGENICITY OF HAEMOPHILUS TYPE B-TETANUS PROTEIN CONJUGATE VACCINE, MIXED IN THE SAME SYRINGE WITH DIPHTHERIA-TETANUS-PERTUSSIS VACCINE IN YOUNG INFANTS

As new vaccines are developed there is increasing interest in reducing the number of injections given to children by combining vaccines in one syringe. We studied the safety and immunogenicity of Haemophilus influenzae type b-tetanus protein conjugate vaccine (PRP-T) administered at ages 2, 4 and 6 months mixed in the same syringe with DTP vaccine and its effects on the seroresponse to DTP vaccine. A group of 112 healthy 2-month-old infants received DTP-PRP-T or DTP-placebo mixed immediately before immunization in the same syringe. The addition of PRP-T to DTP did not increase the rate of local or systemic reactions. After the first, second and third dose, the PRP-T recipients showed a geometric anti-PRP antibody mean of 0.13, 2.31 and 6.40-mu-g/ml vs. 0.07, 0.05 and 0.05-mu-g/ml among the DTP-placebo recipients, respectively. Of the PRP-T recipients, 94 and 98% attained antibody concentration of greater-than-or-equal-to 0.15-mu-g/ml protein after the second and third dose, respectively, and 65 and 94% attained a concentration of greater-than-or-equal-to 1.0-mu-g/ml after the second and third dose, respectively. At the age of 1 year 94 and 52% of the DTP-PRP-T recipients vs. 12% and 0% of the placebo recipients still maintained titers of greater-than-or-equal-to 0.15 and greater-than-or-equal-to 1.0-mu-g/ml, respectively. The administration of DTP in the same syringe with PRP-T did not affect significantly the antibody response to diphtheria and tetanus toxoid and to pertussis agglutinins. It is concluded that PRP-T vaccine could be administered in the same syringe as DTP.