Combo Children's Vaccine Effective and Safe: Study | 07.05.14@ |
An investigational combination vaccine to protect children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio was effective and well-tolerated in children ages 4 to 6 in a Phase III clinical trial, according to vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. The study found that children who received the combination DTaP-IPV vaccine had a comparable immune response and safety profile to children who received separately administered DTaP and IPV vaccines. DTaP-IPV has not been approved for use in the United States. The findings were to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. "An increasing number of vaccines are being recommended to prevent childhood diseases, including additional vaccines at the 4 to 6 year-old doctor's visit. We are pleased to be developing a new combination vaccine that, if approved, could offer one potential solution to the problem of increased numbers of injections during single doctor visits," Dr. Barbara Howe, vice president of North American vaccine development for GlaxoSmithKline, said in a prepared statement. |