Hexavalent vaccines

Combination vaccines are used extensively in routine immunization programs (i.e. pentavalent, measles and rubella) and are a very safe and effective way to provide recommended vaccines with fewer injections.

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis combination vaccines (DTP) have been in use since the 1940s. Most recently, this DTP combination has been used as the basis for the development of combination vaccines containing additional vaccine
antigens such as hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b, resulting in pentavalent vaccine, or with the additional IPV, resulting in hexavalent vaccine.
None of these combination vaccines has produced any adverse events that had not been observed with the individual components and currently used combination vaccines have excellent safety records. ^{Go to footnote 11, Go to footnote 22, Go to footnote 33}