4-To-6-Year-Olds May Need One Less Shot

July 2 (NAPSI)-Vaccinations help protect children from serious diseases, but getting your child vaccinated isn’t always easy. No one likes needles. Children ages 4 to 6 years old may receive five or more vaccinations in a single doctor visit. This can be stressful for parents and those giving the shots.

Combination vaccines reduce the number of shots needed to protect against serious diseases. They combine two or more vaccines in one shot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these combination vaccines are as safe and effective as the individual vaccines and may mean fewer shots.

New Combination for Kids in the U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new combination vaccine for children, KINRIX™ [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine], that offers protection against four serious diseases-diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (also known as whooping cough) and polio-in just one shot.

Certain shots may be needed for school entry and to meet the recommendations of health experts. By reducing the number of shots given at a single doctor’s visit, KINRIX can help make it easier to meet these requirements.

“Today, we can prevent more diseases through vaccination than ever before,” said William P. Hitchcock, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. “Combination vaccines such as KINRIX can make it easier for kids to become fully vaccinated with fewer shots.”

KINRIX is approved for children 4 to 6 years of age who were previously vaccinated with GlaxoSmithKline Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis (DTaP) vaccines.

Keeping Up With Shots

Parents should talk to their child’s doctor about the shots they need to stay on track with the CDC-recommended schedule. School districts can provide information about which vaccines are required for school entry. Parents interested in KINRIX should ask their health care provider if KINRIX is right for their child.

Health experts recommend combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots children receive in a single doctor visit.

Important Safety Information: In clinical studies, common adverse events were injection-site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, or increase in arm circumference), drowsiness, fever, and loss of appetite. Previous hypersensitivity to any component of KINRIX, including neomycin and polymyxin B, is a contraindication. Encephalopathy within seven days of administration of a previous pertussis-containing vaccine or a progressive neurologic disorder is a contraindication. The decision to give KINRIX should be based on potential benefits and risks, if Guillain-Barré syndrome has occurred within six weeks of receipt of a prior vaccine containing tetanus toxoid, or if adverse events have occurred in temporal relation to receipt of a pertussis-containing vaccine. The needleless, prefilled syringes contain dry natural latex rubber and may cause allergic reactions. For children at higher risk for seizures, an anti-pyretic may be administered at the time of vaccination. Vaccination with KINRIX may not protect all individuals who receive the vaccine.

More information on KINRIX is available at www.kinrix.com.

Combination vaccines reduce the number of shots needed to protect against serious diseases.