This post is about the DTP vaccine for babies.
DTP which is supposed to cover the vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.
Wiki states below for DTap and DTwP:
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DTaP (also DTPa and TDaP) - is a combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, in which the pertussis component is acellular. This is in contrast to whole-cell, inactivated DTP (aka DTwP)
The acellular vaccine uses selected antigens of the pertussis pathogen to induce immunity. Because it uses fewer antigens than the whole cell vaccines, it is considered safer, but it is also more expensive. Most of the developed world has switched to DTaP, but developing countries continue to use DTP.Recent research suggests that the DTP vaccine is more effective than DTaP in conferring immunity; this is because DTaP's narrower antigen base is less effective against current pathogen strains.
The acellular vaccine is safer to administer in that it causes substantially fewer side-effects (estimated at 90% fewer), which commonly include local pain and redness, and/or fever.
DTaP was developed in Japan in 1981.
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Now doctors suggest the painless injection (Pentaxim), saying the medicine works the same, but the child will not cry in pain, but we have to pay more (medicine is costly). For the comfort of the infant, parents also go for it.
Below is the detail got in internet for the two medicines.
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Both vaccines provide protection against five diseases but there is a difference in the diseases covered.
Pentaxim covers Diptheria, Whooping cough (by acellular component, which adds to cost but has less pain, fever for the infant), Tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type b and IPV (injectable polio vaccine).
Easy Five covers Diptheria, Whooping cough (cellular component, which is cheap but has more chances of side effects like pain, fever for the infant), Tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type b and Hepatitis B. Pentaxim is costlier vaccine.
Whichever vaccine you choose, protection MUST be provided for the six diseases. Thus with Pentaxim, you have to give additional Hepatitis B vaccine and with Easy Five, additional Polio vaccine (oral polio vaccine or the costlier injectable polio vaccine). The protection offered for the diseases that these two products offer is comparable but the side effects are somewhat lower with Pentaxim. In summary, you will have to make the decision on the basis of above facts, especially cost considerations.
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Four years back, Doctor at native refused to put Easy Five stating that he prefers to put DTP , HIB and Hepatatis B separately. In a period of four years, new medicines have come and reduced the number of injections to the infant.
Though few vaccines are clubbed to a single injection, every year new vaccines are coming and chart is growing big and bigger.
--Dhanesh Amma
