Pentavalent Vaccine - Critisised in Asian Countries

Abstract

Every year, more than 2.5 billion doses of vaccines are used globally to immunize children under the age of 10 year. Immunization is the key to protecting children from many complicating diseases, including polio, measles, diphtheria, and tetanus. From 2005 to 2010, global demand for the pentavalent vaccine increased quickly. Pentavalent vaccine has been progressively introduced in Asian countries after the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine has usually been introduced as a component of a combination pentavalent vaccine, which has replaced the traditional diphtheria–tetanus–whole-cell pertussis (DTwP) or DTPwP-hepatitis B vaccines. This “five-in-one” combination of vaccine protects children from diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) which causes pneumonia and meningitis. It is less traumatic for babies to receive and easier for
administering the vaccine than previous formulations.